•' /

(

•

By GOZO SHIODA

translated by

GEOFFREY HAMIL TON

KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL Tokyo • New York • London

Distributed in the united States by Kodansha America, Inc., and in the United Kingdom and continental Europe by Kodansha Europe Ltd.

Published by Kodansha International Ltd., 17-14 Otowa 1-chome, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8652, and Kodansha America, Inc.

Copyright© 1968 by Gozo Shioda. All rights reserved. Printed in Japan. LCC 68-31356 ISBN-13: 978-0-87011-301-7 ISBN 10: 0-87011 -301 1 ISBN 4 7700-0578-4 (in Japan)

First edition, 1968 First paperback edition, 1977 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 40 39 38 37 36 35 34

www.kodiJnslw-inll.com

Contents

Preface

Translator's Introduction

History of Aikido

SECTION 1: The Nature of Aikido

SECTION 2: Posture & Movement

SECTION 3: Basic Techniques

Shiho-nage ("Four-directions throw")

lkkaj6 Osae ("1st control")

Nikaj6 Osae ("2nd control")

Sankajo Osae ("3rd control")

Yonkaj6 Osae ("4th control")

7

9

1 1

14

22

46

48

62

74

88

100

Sokumen-irimi -nage ("Side-approach body throw") 104

Shomen-irimi-nage ("Front-approach body throw")

Hiji-jime ("Elbow lock")

Koky0-h6 ("Breathing method")

Tenchi-nage ("Heaven and earth throw")

Kote-gaeshi ("Outward wrist twist")

SECTION 4: Practical Application

Glossary

110

114

118

122

126

132

158

Pho tograp~s for Sectlons 1. 'and 3 by Fumlo M atsuda; photographs l or Sect1on 4 by Seij1 M uto; and Jacket pho touruph by Soburo Nagamatsu

Preface

The object of this book is to provide an introduction to aikido which can be used as a text book by beginners. The techniques described have been selected from those used in everyday practice at the Tokyo Yoshinkan, and they include the essential basic movements.

Every effort has been made to present a simple classification of the techniques and to describe them in straightforward, easily understandable terms. However, as with all the Japanese martial arts, there are many points in aikido which cannot be adequately explained with words and photographs; so while this book can never satisfactorily replace a qualified teacher, it is hoped that it w ill provide a useful supplement to personal instruction.

I should like to express my appreciation to Seishi Terada, Takashi Kushida, Kyoichi Inoue, to all the instructors at the Y6shin­kan who appear in the photographs as my opponents, and to those students who also gave their time and energy. I am also indebted to my seniors and the directors of the Yoshinkan for their help and advice in the planning of this book. Lastly, I should like to thank Geoffrey Hamilton for writing the English translation of this book and for compiling the section on practical application.

GOZO SHIODA

PREFACE 7

Translator's Introduction

Since the original version of this book was intended to be read by Japanese, it presumed on the part of the reader a background knowledge of Japanese history and culture. Furthermore, there is certain terminology used in describing the Japanese martial arts which most Japanese understand or can guess at but which is meaningless when directly translated into English.

The following notes attempt to explain or amplify some of these points for the Western reader.

THE SAMURAI: Until just about one hundred years ago Japan was a feudal country. The land was broken down into fiefs and society into four immutable strata. At the bottom were the mer­chants, above them the craftsmen, then the farmers and at the top the military class, the samurai.

The samurai's allegiance was to his feudal lord. In return for his stipend he was expected to fight and, if necessary, die for that lord. After 1600 Japan was free from civil war and for the next two and half centuries the samurai as a class were mainly concerned with administration, but it was still their duty to prac­tice the martial arts and it was during this period that these arts were refined and categorized. They also became means of in­culcating self-discipline and philosophy, particularly that of Zen.

THE "WAYS": The original Japanese word for martial arts was bujutsu-the first character "bu" meaning "military··, the second 'jutsu" meaning "art". After Japan emerged from the feudal period in the 1860's the arts were studied less for the value of their practical application and more stress was laid on their philosophical elements. To indicate this shift of emphasis the second character 'jutsu" was replaced with the character "do" which has an abstract meaning of "way" in the Zen sense, which is a practice that can lead to enlightenment. Hence kenjutsu (""fencing")has become kend6, kyiljutsu("archery")has become kyildo etc.

TRANS LA TOR'S INTRODUCTION 9

AIKIDO : The fundamental principle in aikido is to be so "in tune" with the opponent that one can sense his intentions and be able t~ .tak~ advantage of his movement. This principle has given atktdo tts name: the character "ai" means "to meet", the character "kl' means "spirit" and "do" means "the way" in the philosoph­ical sense explained above.

AIKIDO AND THE SWORD: In explaining aikido techniques constant reference is made to the use of the sword. Needless to say, this refers to the Japanese sword which is generally held in two ha~ds and carried directly in the front of the body, the hands level wtth the solar plexus and the shoulders and hips square to the opponent.

When a stroke is made in kendo (Japanese fencing) the move­m?n~ originates from the hips. When the sword is raised (and th1s ~~ the movement most often cited in aikido) it is as though the htps push in the direction of the elbows in an attempt to raise them Both hands are brought level with or just above the fore­head and in line with the center of the body.

AT~MI : These are blows delivered against certain vulnerable pomts of the body with the tips of the fingers, side of the hand, elbo~, knee, toes, heels etc. The blow most often cited in this text IS metsubushi ("smashing of the eyes") and is delivered by the knuckle at the base of the middle finger to the point directly between the eyes.

" SECURE" AND "CONTROL": The word " secure" is used in this context to indicate the moment when a lock becomes effective i.e., begins to cause pain. "Control" is used to indicate what i~ often the final stage of a movement when the opponent is com­pletely immobilized or at least unable to make any effective move­ment.

"OPENING" THE Boov: This is a convenient way of describing the a~tion of pivoting on one foot or the other and taking back one stde of the body in one piece, e. g .• like opening a door.

" FLOATING": This refers in the intransitive to the moment when a per~on's weight is ri~i.ng ~s the result ?f natural movement, e.g., walktng. In the transtttve tt means remforcing the opponent's upward movement. It does not have the sense of lifting.

G. H.

10 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

History of Aikido

Since the end of the war, and particularly during the last decade, the ancient Japanese martial art of aikido has enjoyed a rapidly expanding popularity, not only in the country of its origin but also abroad, especially in America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Originally, the martial arts were simply methods of defense and attack used in serious combat that consisted of primitive hand­to-hand and stick fighting techniques. At times a small and com­paratively weak man would overcome a bigger opponent; and when the reason for his victory was appreciated a new method would be formulated. Thus, over the years, teachers and practitioners of the arts- sometimes at considerable risk to themselves- have refined and developed these techniques which today stand up to scientific scrutiny.

However, as the martial arts became influenced by Buddhist concepts they were transformed from mere collections of tech­niques to philosophical "ways". Their dimensions grew until they went beyond the simple objective of killing the enemy to embrace many elements concerned with day to day living. In other words they changed from ways of killing to ways of life. Particularly after the demise of the samurai class, the martial "arts" became martial "ways," and great value was placed upon them as a means of generating the moral strength necessary to build a sound society. Nevertheless, in the last analysis the martial arts are the arts of the fighting men- of the samurai - and if the basic objective of defeating the enemy is lost sight of, then as martial arts they must cease to exist. Accordingly, they must not become mere intellectual exercises, the fundamental budo "conduct" must not be treated lightly and the "way of technique" must not be neglected as a form of spiritual and physical training.

There are still insufficient data available concerning the history of aikido, and while no doubt more will be discovered the follow ­mg is an outline of what has been learned so far.

Present day aikido has its origin in daito aikijutsu which is

HISTORY OF AIKIDO 11

Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu

Morihei Ueshiba

said to have been founded by Prince Teijun, the sixth son of the Emperor Seiwa (850-880 A. o.). Through the prince's son, Tsune­moto, it was passed on to succeeding generations of the M inamoto family. By the time the art had reached Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu, the younger brother of Yoshiie Minamoto, it would appear that the foundations of the present aikido had already been laid. Yoshimitsu was apparently a man of exceptional skill and learning and it is said that he devised much of his technique after watching a spider skillfully trap a large insect in its fine web. It is recorded that Yoshimitsu studied anatomy by dissecting the bodies of war dead and criminals; and his house, "Daito Mansion" has given its name to his system of aikijutsu.

Yoshimitsu's second son, Yoshikiyo, lived in Takeda, in the province of Kai, and he eventually became known by this name. Subsequently the techniques were passed on to successive generations as the secret art of the Takeda house and made known only to members and retainers of the family. In 1574, Takeda Kunitsugu moved to Aizu and the techniques passed on to his descendants came to be known as the Aizu-todome techniques.

Thereafter the art remained an exclusively samurai practice and was handed down within the family until Japan emerged from isolation into the Meiji period in 1868. At that time Sokaku Takeda Sensei, then head of the family, began to teach the art outside the Takeda household, traveling widely throughout Japan and fi­nally settling in Hokkaido. His son, Tokimune Takeda Sensei, opened the Daitokan dojo in Abashiri, Hokkaido, and continues to further the development of aikido as the head of the Daito school.

The most outstanding of Sokaku Takeda's pupils was Morihei Ueshiba. Ueshiba Sensei, a man of rare ability, brought to the Daito school the essentials of other ancient schools of the martial arts and added techniques of his own devising to found modern aikido. For many years Ueshiba Sensei has taught and guided from his dojo in Wakamatsu-cho in Tokyo. He is now over eighty years old and is still very active. Ueshiba's dojo, Aikido Honbu,

12 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Sokaku Takeda • .. • ' .. '='• 111'11''·]1 ,, ' ' 11 ' '

" ' ' "' -' -- -

Yoshinkan Dojo

is now supervised by his son Kisshomaru Ueshiba, who has devot­ed himself to the dissemination of aikido throughout Japan and overseas with great success.

A distinguished pupil of Ueshiba Sensei. Kenji Tomiki of Waseda University, is very active in the field of physical education and had concentrated on developing aikido as a sport.

One of Ueshiba's most outstanding pupils has been Gozo Shioda (9th dan), the author of this book and the director of the Aikido Yoshinkan, who has contributed much to bring about the popularity that aikido has enjoyed since the war. Shioda entered Ueshiba Sensei's dojo at the age of eighteen and lived there for eight years and even as a student he displayed the clear­cut, graceful technique and extraordinary vigor we see today. Like Sokaku Takeda and Morihei Ueshiba, Shioda Sensei is small, weighing only 108 pounds, and the fact that in spite of this he has become so formidable is, I feel, the rationale of aikido.

The tremendous interest shown in aikido since the war probably dates back to 1 954 when, under the auspices of the Life Extension Society, an exhibition of Japanese martial arts was organized in Tokyo. Shioda Sensei took part and his demonstration attracted a great deal of attention and favorable comment. From then on, aikido gained popularity so rapidly that within a year a group of financiers established the Aikido Yoshinkan (President Shoshiro Kudo) and placed Shioda Sensei in charge.

When one considers that before the war aikido was practiced by just a few individuals and special army and navy groups, the present growth and popularity of the art is indeed gratifying. However this rapid expansion has created a demand for qualified teachers and the future development of aikido will be determined by the degree of success in producing persons capable of teaching and maintaining the high standards of the art.

Finally, I hope teachers whose names I have no space to mention will forgive me and accept my gratitude for their efforts.

HIROSHI TAKEUCHI

HISTORY OF AIKIDO 13

As with all the martial arts aikido owes its development to the count­less teachers and practitioners who over the past eight hundred years have devised and polished the techniques, sometimes at the rtsk of their lives. These techniques are based on principles which today stand up to scientific scruti ­ny One of the characteristic prin ­c1ples of aikido is marui ("c1rcular motion") If an attack launched along a straight hne 1s " rece1ved" with a Circular motion it can be channeled and controlled, and once th1s c1rcular movement has been mastered it is poss1ble to meet an attack of any force from any direction. Furthermore the concept of meeting something in a circular way is one which can be used in everyday Situations. Pro­gress can only be made in the study of technique by remain1ng calm and practicing m harmony with one's opponent. Real strength cons1s1ts of a stra1ght but flexible mind and a body tempered by hard practice. (Pic­tured right is kokyu nage.)

14 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

SECTION 1

The Nature of Aikido

The Harmony of Aikido

and The Mind

A fundamental axiom of aikido IS that the gentle can control the strong through the study of technique. However,aikido is more than stmply a physical skill. To coordinate with the opponent's movement and power it is necessary that the mind as well as the body be pliant. In other words the mmd must be alert and flexible in order to be able to take advantage of the opponent's movements. Taken a step further, this means that the aikidoka must understand h1s opponent and share his feelings; so the final objective is not to inflict injury but to cultivate a sense of harmony.

Thus contest. which leads to superiority and defeatist com­plexes, is avoided tn practicing aikido, and the techntques are safely assimilated in kata form i.e., in cooperation w1th a partner each movement is repeated until it has been thoroughly absorbed and has become a reflex action. Aikido is not concerned merely with relationships between people; it is a form of training in which the aikidoka learns to harmonize with nature through the practice of natural techniques. A movement that is awkward or forced cannot be aikido.

Technique and Practice

ANALYSIS OF T ECHNIQUE

Technique is the means of achieving maximum effect with the minimum of effort. Essentially this is done by using the force of one's opponent to his disadvantage. Thus, when pushed, the aikidoka moves with the direction of the attack, adding his own power to the force of his opponent. Similarly, if pulled, rather than pull in the opposite direction, he adds his own weight and movement to the pull, applies the appropriate technique and there­by brings the opponent under control. He wins, not as a result of a contest of strength, but by utilizing the force of his opponent.

Though most techniques center on the situation where two unarmed men are facing each other, there are techniques for various situations· armed man versus armed man, unarmed man versus armed man, one man against a number of opponents. As a result over three thousand techniques have been formulated of which some one hundred and fifty are basic techn1ques.

16 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Repeated practice of these basic techniques opens the way to mastering the remamder.

CLASSIFICATION AN D N OM EN CLATURE OF T ECHNIQUE

Aikido techniques are classified in the following way: tac~i waza (both standing) ; suwari waza (both sitting) ; and hanmJ­hantaclu waza (one sitting and one standing) . These groups are further divided into nage waza ( " throwing techniques") and osae waza ( " controlling techniques" ) . Most basic techmques mcorporate te waza ("hand techniques"} This was because in ancient times armor was worn on the battlefield and the op­ponent's hands were accessible and vulnerable.

Since aikido embraces thousands of techniques. it 1s almo~t impossible to give them all a name; as a result only the. bas.•~ techniques are identified and are referred to merely ~s . tkk~J~, nikajo (first, second classification) etc. This means that 1t IS ~tffl­cult for the ordinary person to ascertain the nature of the techntque simply by hearing tts name. For the beginner it is bet.ter to con~en ­trate on learning the movement itself than to memonze the vanous

names. Old books on martial arts use abstruse explanations and learn­

ed nomenclature- this is thought to have been done deliberately to prevent the secrets of their art from betng stolen. Again .. it is probable that Zen priests from mstitutions and temple~ assocta~ed with the samurai families were called upon for help tn recordmg techniques and methods which would account for the esoteric tone of the writings.

PRACTICE M ETHODS

Though aikido is normally practiced in kata form, this does not mean that the movement is " dead .. ; on the contrary, each rep­etition must be effective. The essence of aikido practice IS that both partners perfect their movements and try to obtain. r.eal strength by applying the techniques correctly. Though atk1do differs from other sports in that it goes beyond the normal concepts of victory and defeat, the object of controlling the oppon~nt and gaining superiority must never be forgotten . At th.e same ~!me. as mentioned earlier, the aikidoka must always stnve for mental harmony ...

When performed correctly aikido technique requires no undue effort. Furthermore,no aikido technique requires abnormal physical power; anyone who can lift approximately sixteen pounds h~s sufficient strength- and if at any t1me a great deal of power ts

THE NATURE OF AIKIDO 17

required to execute a technique, it is safe to conclude that the execution is bad. Thus, since aikido can be practiced as energeti ­cally or gently as desired, it can be enjoyed by people of all ages and both sexes. Moreover, aikido also promotes physical health, is a method of self-defense, means of cultivating the mind and, in the case of women, can be an aid to beauty since it improves deportment.

Circular Motion

The secret of being able to take advantage of the opponent's physical strength in aikido lies in the principle of marui ("circular") motion. Almost no movement in aikido follows a straight line: movement of feet, trunk and arms all describe an arc and, further­more, are three-dimensional in that they follow the lines of a sphere or at times a spiral. Circular motion enables the aikidoka to add his weight and power to the opponent's pushing or pulling movement without fear of collision.

Changing direction illustrates the efficacy of circular movement. If the initial movement of the body is in a straight line it is necessary to pause to change direction; but if the initial movement is circular it is not necessary to interrupt the flow of movement. Pivoting of the body on either foot, moving along an arc and movement of the hands as though following the contours of a globe are frequent­ly occurring examples of circular motion.

A prime concern when preparing this book was adequately to convey this circular movement. The student is urged to pay close attention to what is probably the most important basic movement in aikido by careful study of the photographs of the movements taken from above.

S PHERICAL M OVEMENT

Circular movement is not confined to one plane; it can range from front to rear, right to left. upward or downward, i.e.,a com­petent aikidoka must be able to apply it in any direction along the surface of sphere if he wishes to negate an attack from any quarter.

C ENT RIPETAL AND CENTRIFUGAL FORCE

Circular (or spherical) movement naturally embodies both centripetal and centrifugal force. The former is the force that

18 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

draws things into a whirlpool or typhoon; the latter is the force that throws things off a spinning top. Analysis of a perfectly timed and executed technique shows that aikido makes use of these forces.

In the majority of cases where an opponent's balance has been completely broken, it has been by a spinning or turning movement rather than a direct attack. To consider this movement in more detail, suppose the opponent strikes directly from the front. Instead of meeting the attack head on, if one moves out of its path and, without opposing the opponent's movement, applies light upward pressure spirally, with very little effort it is possible to change the direction of the attack, destroy the opponent's balance and deprive him of his strength. This is analogous to the power of a tornado as compared with that of a wind blowing in a single direction.

The Essentials of Movement

SPEED

In aikido, as in most sports, speed is a vital element. Essentially there are two uses of speed: the first is to keep up with the op­ponent's movement, the second is to be able to avoid an initial attack. As an example of the first, it would be impossible to jump aboard a train moving at 120 mph but if one were aboard a vehicle traveling alongside the train in the same direction at the same speed this would be comparatively simple. As an example of the second use of speed, supposing a heavy object was falling directly over­head, one would move quickly to avoid being crushed. It is sufficient that one move just before the object st rikes and just enough to avoid it.

Speed must not be gauged simply in relation to the opponent's capacity and certainly it is not sufficient to develop only enough to outstrip the average man- in aikido one must continually st rive to build up exceptional speed.

TIMING

Timing is the synchronization of one's own movements with those of the opponent- this is the essence of aikido. This is in turn a combination of speed and concentration of energy (which is explained next). Timing might be described as the ability to judge the moment a wave begins to fall back after striking a rock.

THE NATURE OF AIKIDO 19

In the photographs below the opponent leaps forward thrust­ing with both hands at my shoulders. At the right moment the flow of force is reversed and the opponent is thrown. The vital part of the movement is the timing of the counter-thrust.

t

CONCENTRATION OF POWER

ShuchiJ-ryoku is the concentration of the whole of one's power at a given instant at a given point. For example, if one grasps one's opponent's wrist all one's strength should be directed at that point. Conversely, if one attempts atemi (explained in the Translator's Introduction) w1th one.'s r1ght hand while part of one's strength is being used by the left, the blow will lose much of its effectiveness

Though total concentration of strength is not possible, w1th regular train1ng a remarkable level can be achieved. Even untrained people have been known in emergencies-such as a fire to lift objects which would normally be too heavy for them; th1s is an example of unconscious concentration of strength. But w1th training it is possible to develop the ability to concentrate one's strength at will

20 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

MOVING T HE C ENTER OF GRAVITY

By shifting the weight and by adjusting its distribution over each foot. the force of any techn1que can be doubled. In fact the degree of effectiveness of technique depends on the extent to which the weight is properly utilized. Great emphaSIS IS placed on trans­ferring the center of grav1ty in the basic movements of aikido and the student should keep this in mind constantly during practice.

THE NATURE OF AIKIDO 21

However solid a bui lding may appear, it is worthless if its foun­dations have not been well laid. This is also true of the body; however well developed the upper torso may be, if the legs and hips are weak it 1s Impossible to apply or generate any real strength. Con­versely, a man wrth relatrvely weak arms rs difficult to defeat if his legs and hips are above average strength.

Firm foundations are essential in aikido, for without them it is impossible to develop effective technique. Basic posture and basic movement are the foundations of aikido, and, even after some prog­ress has been made in the study of technique, they should be re­peatedly practiced as part of daily routine. The fundamental move­ments and postures which are detailed in this section are an integral part of the basic techniques of Section 3. By perfecting all postures, movements and tech­niques, the aik1doka builds up a repertoire of skills which becomes a permanent part of himself

22 D YNAMIC A IKIDO

SECTION 2

Posture & Movement

Kamae

" Posture" (when practiced alone)

Tw o basic postures are used 1n aikido: migi-hanmi ("right pos­ture") and hidari-hanmi ("left pos­ture"). It is essentia l that they be studied thoroughly because not only do all aikid o techniques origi­nate from them, but also, once mastered, they induce the correct mental attitude.

In these baste stances the body assumes the shape of a three­sided pyramtd broad at the base • narrow at the apex. This affords stability and is an ideal posture from which to tnitiate fast move­ment. The important points are the positioning of the feet and t~e hips and the focusing of the VISIOn.

24 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

90

The baste aiktdo posture is the same 1n prmetple as that of kendo; the feet should be at right angles to each other ~nd they should be one and a half tJmes the length of the aikidoka's own foot apart.

MIGI-HANMI ("right posture")

ru ensure maximum stability and tllow rapid movement forward and ,,,,ckward, keep the feet one and a lt.~lt times the length of one·s own loot apart and keep about two­rlmds of the weight on the leadmg loot. The right arm should be held fll chest level with the elbow :.lightly bent the left hand should he held about four inches in front nl the abdomen; and both hands t>hould be in line with the center of the body. The fingers should be :;pread and pointed forward. The oyes should be centered - not fo­cused- on a spot between the opponent's eyes so as to take in lu- whole body without concentrat-1119 the vision on any particular portion.

-

I I

....

I

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 25

Kamae

"Posture" (when practiced with opponent)

There are two terms for describing the relative postures adopted when two aikidoka are practicing:

AI·HANMJ (opposite page, top)

This is the situation rn which the opponents are in the same posture i.e .• both right or both left.

GYAKU-HANMI (opposite page, bottom}

This is the s1tuat1on when the opponents use different postures, i.e .• one right and the other left.

• MAAI

Maai 1s the appropnate distance (for both attack and defense) maintained between the opponents. If that dis­tance IS reduced, it becomes easier to attack and more difficult to defend; if the distance is increased the reverse is true. It is necessary to adopt the appropriate maai m each circum­stance and in aikido practice it is normal to maintain a distance of roughly six feet.

26 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

EXAMPLE OF AI-HANMI

CENTER OF GRAVITY

" (ABOUT 1 8 MITERS!

DIRECnONi OF BODY

DIRECTION OF BODY

DIRECTION OF BODY.

I - --l

CENTER OF GRAVITY

EXAMPLE OF GYAKU-HANMI

CENTER OF GRAVITY

CENTER OF GRAVITY

AI-HANMI

GYAKU-HANMI

IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT KAMAE

• Spread the fingers; keep the back and hips straight. • Focus on the opponent's eyes, but keep his whole body in view; concentrate the attention in front, but do not let the head come forward. • Keep the hips flexible and try to feel the power flowing from the feet to the fingertips.

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 27

Changing Position

( when push ed )

Kihon dosa is the fundamental movement used to move out of the line of the opponent's attack by pivottng on either foot to assume a safe posit1on from which the opponent can be controlled.

I • Throughout the whole movemontsun-sshi should be used. t.e .. mther than hft tho feet, shde them without losmg contact With the ground In this way the weight will not "float."

• Placing all hls weight on the right foot and pivoting on it tori brings his left foot round to the rear, describing an arc and mam­taming contact with the ground At the same time, without bonding the elbow, he describes a small circle w1th the right hand. bringmg the palm upward and, with a thrustmg act ion. allows the momentum of uk.e 's attack to continue forward . 2

28 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• Tho degree of the turn can vary though usually it IS 95 ,

.,. Tori is in migi-gyaku-hanmi Uke attacks by grasping tort 's nght hand w1th his left and pushmg.

• The nght hand is 1 md palm upward, th elbow almost hlll{lhtened, the left

'' ot brought 95 to thu rom and uke's ltltW<Hd movement I lnforced. • The we1ght is rought over the right

knoo the leg almost lr tyht and fi rm I y

h ~CI"d

J

• .,

~­•

• The distance between the feet is slightly wider than in hanm1 The mps are lowered and the upper and lower parts of the body assume the form of a cross to give a stable posture from which the movement can be tnitiated rapidly.

• The nght nilnd is brought up to chest level, the feet are in hne, the left hand IS m front of the abdomen and parallel w nh the right hand.

~ Tori's strength IS flowing m the d~rection of his finger ttps and his vision is concentrated

~r--..... ......_....,:beyond them

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 29

Changing Position (when pulled)

4 Tofl and uke face each other in m1g1-hanmi. Uke grasps tori's right hand with hrs left and pulls strongly

• Toff's right hand. palm up­ward, rrses dragonally from the loft side of uke s chest to hts rtght shoulder the thrust fol­lowmg the hno of to11's feet

11>- With a slight curvmg move ment tori slides hts . right foot forward without lifting it from the ground (suri-ashi) to a spot inside and a third of a pace beyond uke's left foot. At the same time tori's hands move forward in unison with the right leg.

30 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

2

This is a basic movement to counter the opponent's force when being pulled, by moving forward while maintaining a strong, sra . able posture.

The movement is called irimi and is a basic tech nique peculiar to aikido.

.... ,. j

J

...

• The left hand moves forward honzonta'ly to tho center of uko s chest as tf to dohver a blow (atom1) wtth the edge of tho hand • The eyes look be­htnd the ftngur tips of the rtght hand

-----

~ The right hand, palm upwards, thrusts across uke's chest and over his right shoulder. When making this movement. tori should feel he is thrusting with a sword. As the right leg moves in, the hips follow to bring the center of grav­ity forward. the thrust orrgtnattng from the left foot

Once the body has moved forward, using suri-ashi the left foot closes up to its normal distance from the nght foot.

-------• The feet form the letter 'T'

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 31

Developing Hiriki

"Elbow power" (forward movement)

This is a basic movement designed to develop the correct use of the elbows and to train the hands, feet and body to move along a single line Moreover, by pract1cmg this movement kokytJ-ryoku (see Page 120) can be acqu1red. KokytJ-ryoku, which becomes tndispensable when the study of the techniques begins, embraces more than mere strength: it is a consoli ­dation of all the individual's powers including breathing. willpower and mental v1gor.

1

... ,

I

. ----4 Tori assumes rioht gyalcu-homnt Uke grasps tofl s nght wrist with both hands.

32 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

4 T Of! advances ustng sufl ashi moving one foot and almost simul taneously bringing up the other to restore the standard dtstance be­tween the feet. The fingers aro spread and the thrust flows to tho hands from the feet. through the h1ps, chest shoulders, elbows and wrists.

• The feet arc prone to " float" during th1s movement which w.JI resul t m the bal­ance becommg unsta­ble

• Both hands push strongly for­ward and upward as though raising a sword.

• The nght hand IS above the left. the elbows slightly splayed, the shoul­ders down and the eyes and attention focused ahead.

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 33

Developing Hiriki

"Elbow power" (retiring movement)

This movement develops the abtlity to: 1) maintain a stable posture by changing the position of the weight, and 2) concentrate movement ~long a single line. It also develops strong but supple legs and htps and, like the former exerctse, generates kokyu-ryoku.

1

;. t1 t

• The fingers are spread. the arms extended with the elbows shghtlv bent, and the shoulders lowered. In this posture there should be a feeling that the power ts flowtng downward through the fingers of the right hand.

34 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• •

+ Pivoting on the toes of both feet. tori turns 180 • transtemng the weight from the left to the nght leg.

J

0 ~

I ,~ I

·' /

'

• As tori turns his body he also turns hts nght arm and ra1ses both hands

+ When the movement is complete tori's left leg hips and trunk are in line and the center of gravtty IS further over the right leg than in the previous exerctse (hiriki- forward movement).

• The right arm is straightened as far as possible. • The h1ps must not be lowered • Ventc<JI movement or the body must be kept to the mmtmum. and when ptvotmg on the toes the heels I'IUS' f'IC'' ht! r'3iSt.!d

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 35

Shumatsu Dosa

" Fixing movement"(when pulled)

This movement embodtes the basic " cutting with a sword" motion. the ratsing of the tegatana ("hand­sword" ) and the downward cutting stroke. Practtce of the movement is good t rainmg for stability, maai, wetght shifting and the mental aspects of aikido. Shiho-nage (see Page 48) is the basis of this technique.

• This movement IS dtrectly con­nected with the first slliho-nsgo of Section 3

~ In right ai hanmi, uke grasps tori's wnsts from the front

2

\

.... .. • While shdmg forward with the right foot (suri ashi) tori lowers his body and thrusts his hands forward as though stabbmg with a sword

~ Next tori takes a big step w1th his left foot (suri ashi) and ra•sing both hands (still being held by uke) above his head. throws his we•ght forward onto h1s left foot.

36 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

I

J

• Dur1ng the whole of the movement uko's hands are directly 10

front of tori

~ Tori slides h1s nght foot forward (suri­asht) and extending his arms. brings them sharply down in a cutting motion to shoulder level. His

5

we1ght is now well _, ...... forward and his pos- . j ture stable.

\

• Uke attempts to push ton's head forw ard.

• Pivoting on the toes of both feet. with a fast, tw1sting move ment tori turns 180 and raises both hands htgh above his head H1s weight 1s now on his nght foot.

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 37

Shumat su Dosa

"Fixing movem ent"

In the previous shumatsu dosa movement the motion was forward . In this movement the turn is made to the rear. Both movements are the same in principle.

I

• W hen turnmg. the toes of the foot descr~be a brg arc

• This tS an example of tori skillfully using ukc's power

38 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

.,. Tori is m left gyaku-hanrm, when uke grasps both wrists from the front and pushes.

"' Tof! raises his nght arm - the elbow down and the back of the hand upward above his head, liftrng uke's left arm. Tori's left hand is also raised but moves with the palm upward rn a scoopmg movement.

• Uke tokes a pace Sideways w1th the loft foot mto the same 1>0 Sitton he 1s in at the end of the prev1ous shumotsu dosa move· mont

.,. Tori slides the r~ght foot forward (suri-asht) and the left foot follows Without the heel being ra1sed. Straightening his _ 1 arms tori brings both , hands down to shoul - .. t J der level With a strong cutting motion.

4

....,.cr-""'' • The lmgers must bo extended throughout the movement • Tort must synchromzc hrs move· rnem w1th that of uke

·- .. --

•

• As a rule. when the left foot moves forward. the

[

heel should not be rniscd.

.._ Tori again turns 180" and. still grasped by uke. the arms are ra1sed h1gher above the head.

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 39

Shikko

" M o ving on the knees"

Stnce in the old days there were many occasions in daily life when people were sitttng formally i e .• on the knees. a great deal of considera­tion was given to applymg tech ­niques from that posit1on

The importance of studying su­wari waza ("sitting technrques") nowadays is that it exercises the legs and hips and 1mproves move­ment in a way that the study of tachi waza ("standing techniques") can­not.

Shikko is the basic method of advancmg or retiring while in a sitting or kneeling position. Care must be taken to maintain the correct upright posture throughout the movement.

IJio Keep 1he hips down, rest the hands lightly on the thighs, and look directly a1 the fron1·

40 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

\ •

1

• As one leg moves the body swivels on the knee of the other.

• Next. using the leh knee as pivot. raise the right knee; move the feet 90 to lhe right (counter-clockwtse) and thus take another pace forward

• 1\e- I · knocs on 11 · 1

J

,

• Without rats.ng the right knee lower the left knee, whtch is pointing forward, to the ground

2

• From the seiza posttton with heels raised, hft the left knee and, pivoting on the nght kneo, swing both feet 90 in a clockwise dtrecuon, keep.ng them close together thus takmg a step forward.

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 41

Seiza-ho 3 l., " M oving into a for m al ,j

"' sitting p osi t i on " .., ~ ,Y

Since one can compose one's\~ mind by composing one's pas - ~.,.,... ture, it is very important that one maintain a correct posture between standing and sitting. Seaa-ho is the method of moving from a standing position to seiza

· ~ ""II

--...J.~ I

.;a /

JJo As­sume . . mlgt-hanmi.

\

2

f

•

-

• The toes must not be ex tended backwards.

..._ Movmg straight from migi-hanmi place the left knee beside the nght heel

42 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

.. •

5

• Without moving the left foot place the right foot be­side it and lower tho h1ps.

• Place both hands lightly on the thighs.

• Push the knees forward and sit on the legs

<ll Stnughten the spinc,draw thechm1n,drop the shoulders and sit in seiza.

Ukemi

" Breakfalls "

Ukemi is a method of protectmg the body when falling or being thrown The techniques vary according to the angle and direction of the fall and the execution can vary with the indtvidual. But the basic principle is to reduce the shock of the fall to the minimum.

2

• BACKWARD BREAKFALLS

3

-

-

a backward po­sition start to lower the h1ps; at the same time extend both arms to the front at shoulder level

..._ Curve the back and place the but­tocks as close as possible to the heels.

• Roll to the rear, keeping the back curved and the chin pulled well in. Both arms remain relaxed but strike the mat strongly.

I

• Without bending the hips too much allow the body to assume the shape of a cradle, 1.e .. allow it to "rock": keep the chin in to prevent the back of the head from striking the mat .

\ •

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 43

• FORWARD BREAKFALLS

This is the method of breaking one's fa ll when being thrown or falling forward.

ll> With the right arm and the back following the same curve, allow the weight to carry the body forward into a roll. • Keep the chin pulled . ln.

J

I

. ~J ' "i'·

A. Advance the right hand and fool, inclining the body and allowing the weight of the body to move forward.

• The nghl hand should be placed on the mat as demonstrated in the photograph; the el ­bow should be slightly bent to give the feeling that the arm is describ-. Jng an arc .

..,. As the roll goes over, the left arm strikes the mat strongly and the right leg should be bent almost 90 o

when it comes into contact with the ground.

..,. The momentum of the roll will bring the body back into an upright po-

1 sition. Correct the posture to meet any new attack.

44 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• JUMPING BREAKFALLS

This method is used when it is im­possible to free the appropriate hand and use the normal forward breakfall.

5 I

ll> Pull in the chin and launch the body high off the right foot, turn­ing in mid-air.

/ i! j

.-r/

'" A. As in the case of the normal forward break­fall, the momentum of the roll will bring the body back into an up­right position .

..,. Correct the posture to prepare for the next movement.

J

n

A. Step forward onto the right foot, use it as a pivot and incline the body forward.

A. As the body turns over, the left leg remains straight and the left arm prepares to strike the mat in contact.

POSTURE & MOVEMENT 45

There are a great many basic techniques but the study of those described in th1s section will provide an entree to all aik1do technique. The mysteries of budo are nowadays seldom kept secret. The movements described in this book provide the key to aikido, in other words ''the secrets lie in the beg1nning."

When studymg basic techniques. it 1s not sufficient to learn how to throw and control. It is necessary repeatedly to be thrown and con­trolled if one is to really understand and master the essentials of basic technique. Repeated and correct practice of these basic techn1ques eventually enables the aikidoka to react instinctively and to apply the appropriate technique in the situa ­tion in which he finds himself­whether it takes place in the dojo or at an unexpected moment in daily life.

The figures (a) and (b) placed after the names of techniques are used to indicate when the opponent pulls (a) and when he pushes (b) .

The photograph shows a moment in irimi-nage.

46 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

SECTION 3

Basic Techniques

SHIHO-NAGE "Four-directions throw''

WHAT IS SHIHO-NAGE?

Shiho nage is a techn1que in which the body movement is s1milar to that when usmg a sword and cutting m four directions. Tori turns p1voting on either foot and " folding" uke's arm 1.e., taking h1s w rist to his shoulder. He thus controls him and is able to throw him 1n any other direction.

This book deals with only the basic forms of shiho-nage- katate mochi, yokomen-uchi. shomen-uch1 and hanmi-hantachi. But there are many other forms of the technique such as ryote-mochi, hiji-mochi, mune moch1~ shomen-tsuki, ushiro -ryote moch1 etc., and in addition there are all the variations of these techniques which are also forms of shiho-nage. When applymg shJ/16-nage al l the basic movements come into use including the bas1c movements of shumatsu dosa .

(

48 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• Pomts co Remember It 1s important when practicing shiho -nage to think in terms of using a sword: raising a sword, wheeling w1th a sword, cutting downward With a sword . Furthermore, it is 1mportant to feel that you are applying your strength in the most effect1ve direction to control your opponent not merely twisting his wrist. Instead of usmg s1mply the strength of one hand the aikidoka must put all h1s body into the movement. Uke's hand must move in a line with the shoulder. tori must not pull uke's hand out to the

s1de.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 49

Katate-mochi Shiho-nage (A)

" One hand grasp; four-directions throw "

This technique is used when uke grasps one of tori's wrists and pulls . The movement is the same as in shtJmatsu-dosa (Page 36)

1

I

J

.A After applying atemi (metsuhushi) with the right hand tori moves in exactly tho some manner as in shumatstJ doso 1 .

50 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

~ In migi-gyaku-hanmi. uke grasps tori's left wrist and pulls him forward

• Ton extends h1s nght arm as far as possrblc

.A Taking a big pace with his left foot. toft raises uko 's hand above lori's head.

.A Pivollng on both feet tori turns 180 ' and takes uke's right hand to his (uke's) right shoulder

I I I

f

7

/

.A Tori takes another pace forward with his right foot (SUfl · ashi) and, throwing h1s wetght forward, breaks uke's balance to the rear

~ Tori follows uJce down bnnging his right foot close to ulte's right shoulder and kneel­ing on the left knee close to his (tori's) nght heel. With his right hand he holds uke's wrist firmly agamst the mat and w1th the left hand applies atemi to uke's face.

• Throughout the whole movement torrs eyes must stay on uke and he must be careful to mam­tam the correct pos­ture.

.A Ton brings uke to the ground with a downward cut11ng mot1on of the right hand

BASIC TECHNIQUES 51

Katate-mochi Shiho-nage (B)

"One hand grasp; four-directions throw"

This technique is used w hen uke grasps tori's wrist and pushes.

• Do not resist uke's push.

52 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• Apply atenu I>OSitively. • To avoid injury uke must receive 1110 blow on his left hand

II> In hidari-gyaku­hanmi. when uke grasps torts left wrist and pushes, tori applies atemi (metsubushi} with the right hand.

+ Without res1stmg uke's push. tori piv­ots on his forward foot and, while be­ginning to withdraw his right foot to the rear, grasps uke's wnst with his right hand.

+ While lowering his body we1ght tori turns clockwise to the rear

~-

.. t rt ..

~ Still pivoting on his left foot tori turns 180 and brings his weight over his left foot. stabiliz­ing h1s posture.

+ Tori grasps uke'swrist so that his thumb is on uke's pulse

+ Tori, Without changing the po ­sition of h1s feet and while quickly turning his body 180 , ra1ses his hands above his head agam as though wielding a sword.

7

+ The turn 1s completed and from here on the movements are the same as those in sh1ho-nage (a) .

• Tori glides h1s left hand (which is held by uke) through an arc. • Ukc's hand is at the level of tori's shouldm • Tor~ extends h1s left hand to the front.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 53

Yokomen-uchi Shiho-nage (A )

"Blow to side o f head; four-directions throw "

When the opponent attacks with a sideways blow to the head, his power is used to break his balance and he is thrown with shih6-nage.

~ In migi-hanmi, uke strikes at the left side of tori's head with the side of his right hand (te­gatana) . Tori steps forward half a pace diagonally to his right, slightly "opening" his left foot.

:!C" .

.&. Tori strikes down uke's right arm with the edge of his left hand (tegatana) and at the same time applies atemi to uke ·s face with the back of his right fist.

• The feet should move by suri-ashi and care must be taken to keep them at 90 ' to each other as 1f in the basic posture (kamae) .

54 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

\ -

-

? ~~

~ J ~ ~ "' ~ '

~ ~

--~ .&. Tori grasps uke's right wrist with both hands. (Thumb and fingers of the left hand are close on the pad at the base of uke's thumb and tori's right thumb is on uke's pulse.)

TORI UK£

n 6

..,.. As in kata-mochi shiho-nage (Page 50), tori turns and, straightening the arms, takes uke backward to the ground and applies atemi.

~\·,, ··~ ' ..,-"::\,

4

.&. Taking a half-pace forward with the right foot and twisting his hips to bring them square to the front, tori pushes the hands forward and breaks uke's balance.

--------

~ •

~ Tori takes a long step forward with his left foot and raises the hands level with his forehead.

• At this point wri's left hand gUides uke"s hAnds forward and his right hand secures the lock on uke's wnst with a twisting movement

turn through 180

~c~cf;.;- lf the posture is the feet need

3 only move a short distance to be effec ­tive.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 55

Yokomen-uchi Shiho- nage (B)

" Blow to side of head; four-directions throw "

t --­\

• In hidan gyalw hanrm, uke ratses h1s r~g hi arm 10 attack with a blow to the side of the head. At this momom tori steps forward with the lert foot.

2

-~ • Tori forestalls the attack by striking down uk.e's nght arm with his left hand (tcgatana). at the same time applytng nternt (metsubushl)

Shomen-uchi Shiho-nage ( B )

" Straight blow; four-directions throw"

I , ..

• In rmgi ni hamm, when ulw at,acks by making a straight cut to the head with h1s right hand, tori deflects the blow. grasps uke 's wrtst with his left and "openmg" h1s body to the rear. breaks uke 's posture.

56 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

2

~ ~·

3

• ~ .\.({ .• ' 1

~· !.. . ' ' ....

• Still graspmg uke's wrist (tori's thumb lies across the pad at the base of ukt! 's thumb), tori applies atemr wtth h1s right hand (metsubushi).

I

When uke attacks with a blow to the side of the head, tori takes the 1n1tiat1ve by stepping in and secunng uke's wrist and applying shiho-nage.

-·-..

• ron grasps uke 's nght arm With both hands and, p1voting on tho left toot, sweeps h1s nght loot round to the rear.

When the opponent attacks with a straight blow to the head, tori deflects the blow. breaks the opponent's balance and applies sfliho-nage.

4 s

..

• When uke attempts to block tho atemi with his left hand, tori IJHlsps uke's wrist with both hands. takes half a pace to the front w1th h1s left foot, squares hts h1ps and thrusts his hands forward.

~ . '\., \ '

\

-__.

... -

• Havinu broken uke's balance, tori turns (clockwise) 180 trans­ferring his we1g hl from the left to the nght foot and applies shiho· nage

6

•

4 Taking a b1g step forward w1th h1s left foot, tofl raises his hands above h1s hoi! d. breaktng uk.t! 's posture. and tmmediately turns 180 to apply shiho -nage.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 57

•

Hanmi -hantac hi Katate-mochi Shiho-nage

" One sitting, one standing: one hand grasp :

four-directions throw ,

When uke grasps tori's wrist. tori secures uke's wrist and applies sh1ho -nage from a sittmg positron .

2

I , ,

• Tort thrusts forward w.th an upward crrculnr movement s 1f to scrape uke s left knee With the I ttlo frngor of hr& llflhl hand

<111 Tori is in seizo, and uke, approaching from the srde, grasps tori's right hand wrth his left

• To" moves forw,Hd so that uke's shou.der rs above to" s hend and tofl can see forward under uJ..·e 's arm • At the same umo tor1 rur .es the toes of both feet J brmgs the heels together '-and f~rmly -' settles has . werght down .., upon them

... A. Synchronizang has movement with uke's pull, ton qurckly ad ­vances has right knee to a posrtron about one- third of the drstance between uke 's feet and grasps uke ·s wnst at chest height.

A. Whale transfernng his w eight from the front to the rear and with the action of raising a sword, tof/ secures the lock on uke 's wrist and elbow and breaks hrs balance to uke ·s left rear

58 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

.,_ Tori, throws ' ~ards

while sittrng, uke back-

4 •

l

A. Tori t ransfers his weight more and more onto his left knee and nt the same time raises his hands over his head.

6

• By strarghtening ukc's left elbow tor1 "floats" ulie's werght upward • When passang uke s wrrst over head 11 1s easier to secure the lock 11 tori moves Ius nght knee shghtly for ward

• Keep Sl!Ltt!Jhl • Movt• correctly

-

the arm

the knees

5

A. Once uke's balance as broken tofl passes uke's wrist over has hoad. moving uke round . boh1nd him And then. 1urning has hrps too bnngs uke's left hand to hi'> left shoulder

BASIC TECHNIQUES 59

Hanmi-hantachi Ryote-mochi Shiho-nage

"One sitting, one standing; both hands grasp; four-directions throw"

A Tori is in seiza; uke, in migi-hanmi grasps both tori's wrists from the front and pulls.

J

~ Tori comes to his feet stretching upward with ~is hands, before bring­tng them over his head.

f I

~ As he passes uke's hands over his h~ad. tori turns (clockwise) 180 and pivOting on the left foot takes a big s_tep forward (to uke's rear) with his nght foot, throwing uke with shiho­nage. • Tor~:s ri~ht arm must be straight. • Tor1 s h1ps must be lowered if he is to break uke's balance.

60 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Uke approaches tori, who is sitting, from the front, grasps both wrists and pulls. Tori comes to his feet, takes uke's wrist over his head and applies shiho-nage.

'

n

A Tori comes onto his left foot and advances it between uke's feet; still with his right knee on the ground he thrusts uke's hands forward at chest level, holding uke's right wnst with his right hand.

• Tori is up on hts right toes. • Tori's left hand moves directly forward

• AIKIDO TECHNIQUE

Aikido can be divided into suwari waza (both tori and uke are sitting), hanmi­hantachi waza (one sitting, the other standing) and tachi waza (both stand­tng); and these are further divided into nage waza (throwing techniques) and osae waza (controlling techniques).

It is also possible to divide the techniques into those that exploit physiological weakpoints and those that take advantage of the position and movement of the opponent. Examples of the former are the targets we attack with atemi to cause unexpected shock and leave the opponent vulnerable . An example of the latter is the power of the opponent's pushing and pulling move­ments which can be harnessed.

Aikido is the study of how to obtain the maximum effect with the expendi ­ture of a small amount of effort. Any technique that has to be forced or involves a contest of strength is not aikido.

It is true of osae waza, and particularly true of nage waza, that to throw an opponent it is not necessary to have the strength to lift him. It is essential that the opponent is thrown of his own accord. (Failure to "go over" would mean that the joint would be broken.)

The question of how best an op­ponent can be defeated must always be in one's mind-but it is of supreme importance to reflect upon the cor­rectness of one's own movement and attitude.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 61

IKKAJQ OSAE " 1s t control"

WHAT IS IKKAJO OSAE?

lkkajo osae is a method of breaking an opponent's posture and controlling h1m by a movement that centers on the elbow joint. As with shiho-nage there are many variations of this movement-katate-mochi, ryote mochi, hiji-mochi, mune-mochi. shomen-tsuki etc.-but the basic movements are shomen-ucht and katate-mochi wh1ch are explained.

• Pomts to Remember Application of this techn1que embodies movements such as ra1s1ng the sword. cutting downward. thrusting as though with a spear, advancing "into" an opponent (irimi), etc. For tori the technique is an excellent method of learning to judge tho distance between oneself and an opponent

I \

62 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

(maat), advancing diagonally, h1p movement and chaneling power etc. Performance of the technique enables uke to practice forward breakfalls and to strengthen the wrist. elbow and shoulder joints which 1n turn benefits application of the technique.

In suwari waza (sitting techniques) it is important that both tori and uke 's v1s1on be correct and at the begtnning of the movement they must be s1tt1ng on the toes with the feet together Th1s posture makes for easy movement and allows power to be applied qu1ckly in all suwari waza Sitting correctly strengthens the legs and h1ps.

I

BASIC TECHNIQUES 63

Shomen-uchi lkkajo Osae (A )

"Straight blo w : 1s t c ontrol"

• Uke rece1ves tori's blow With hrs liQht arm Shghtly - - -r/ curved , -

Tori attacks with a downward blow to the head from the front and uke blocks the blow with his right hand; tori seizes uke's right elbow and wrist and brings him to the ground and under control.

1 /

J -

/

.,.. In mtg~-<Ji-hanmi, tor ratses his nght hand above his head as if raisrng a sword, advances with suri ashi and de­livers a blow to uke's head drrectly from the front and with the edge of the hand (tegatana) .

~ Whtle pushing uke's elbow along a lme JOining the pomt of hrs right shoulder to hrs right ear, tori's right tegatana cuts downward with a circular movement and he steps diagonally to the nght with the left foot following slightly.

64 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

,.. Tori advances his right foot; turns his hips sharply to the right; brings hrs left hand down sharply on uke 's elbow joint.

• Use surt-ashr when movmg • Move qurcklv to ketlp the inrtra!lve.

• Throughout the movement ton must rnaintilin hrs posture t e . he must not bend at the htps

.,.. Too moves uke 's right orm until it ls 90 '' to uke's body Hu then brings his own right kncu and uke's right arm to the ground at the same moment and controls uke by pressure on the elbow JOint.

I • Tori kueps hts nght wnst t.11rly strarght and instead of forcefully grippmg uke's elbow w1th tho left hand allows the pressure to descend on it drrectly from above and then flow off 1n the direction of ukt/s nght wrist (i.e., tho flow of power forms an "L" )

6

5

"v'

.,.. As soon as uke is well dow n on the ground tori adva~ces his right foot diagonally to the nght and at the same time thrusts uke's right arm forward to bring his face down onto the mat.

~ Tori steps forward with his left foot under uke's arm and while bringmg strong pressure on uke's right shoulder pushos forward as if holding a spear

BASIC TECHNIQUES 65

Shomen-uchi lkkajo Osae (A-sitting) "Shoulder grasp; 1st control"

This is the same as the previous movement except that both tori and uke are in seiza ("sitting"). When in seiza the distance between the knees should be the width of one fist, the chest should be thrown out and the Sl')oulders relaxed.

I

• The big toes should overlap. • Keep the chest out and drop the shoulders.

.,. Coming up onto his toes, tori moves the right knee slightly forward and while making a curved downward movement with the right tegatana, pushes strongly upward at the right side with his left hand which is holding uke's right elbow. Uke's posture is now broken.

66 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

,. ,-~ , I I ,-~ •.

• When fac­ing each other the distance between tori's and uke's

I

- -1,. knees should }; be the width of

rwo fists .& Both in seiza, tori strikes downward and directly from the front toward uke's head. Uke blocks the blow with his right hand and tori immediately seizes his right elbow from below.

.,. Tori controls uke by pushing his arm as if to force it lengthways into the point of the shoulders; at the same time moving the left knee up to below uke's shoulder tori advances his right knee diagonally to the right and secures ikkajo osae.

.,. By lowering the hips and bringing pressure to bear on uke's right elbow from above, tori breaks uke's pos­ture completely.

J

t )

.... ..... ........... .. • The knees must not lose contact wtth the ground when moving and the heels should remain close to gether .

• Tori must be careful not to prevent the securing of uke's right arm by reducing the maai too much.

• Tori must not concentrate so much on grasping uke's right wrist but rather on cutting downward strongly with the right tegatana.

~ Turning the hips firmly to the right and cutting downward with the right hand, tori grasps uke 's right wrist in front of his (tori's) right thigh.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 67

Kata-mochi lkkajo Osae (A)

"Shoulder grasp; 1st control"

When uke seizes tori at the shou lder. tori by concentrating his strength (shDchD-ryoku) in that region, secures uke's elbow and subdues him.

I

-

J

68 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

<Ill In hidari-hanmi, uke seizes tori's right shoulder and pulls; tori applies atemi (metsubushi) and takes a pace diagonally to the right rear with his right foot.

-

2

After the blow tori grasps uke's left wrist with the same hand and applies his nght hand agamst uke's arm from below.

• Ton must concentrate h1s power In the region of uke's gnp but not ra1se the shoulders.

<Ill Tori takes a pace forward with his left foot and with right tegatana pushes upward and forward along a line joining uke's shoulder and ear.

4

5

"' Taking a big pace forward with the left foot, tori brings uke's face down and places his

• Change from nght tegatana and gnp uAe·$ elbow from above.

<Ill Twist hips strongly to the lert and with right tegatana direct a downward blow to uke's elbow joint and shift the we1ght to the left leg.

<Ill Without loosening his grip on uke 's shoulder or wrist, tori pushes strongly forward to the right and at the same time slides his right foot from uke's left side toward his right shoulder.

6

own right knee on the mat , ___ _ ' '

7

~~~

<111 Plac1ng his right knee below uke's left shoulder and opening uke's left arm to an angle of 90 . tori brings both uke's elbow and wrist firmly down onto the mat and controls uke

• When securmg uke's arm tori should bt.l!ld uke s wrist 111 tho direction of tho shoulder as soo11 as 11 has touchod •hr rnr

BASIC TECHNIQUES 69

'

Kata-mochi lkkajo Osae (A-sitting) "Shoulder grasp; 1st control"

• Uke's left hand should be palm downward.

.,.. Both in seiza, uke grasps tori's right shoulder with his left hand and pulls.

.,.. To evade the full force of uke's attack, tori shifts his right knee to the right, comes up on his toes and with his left hand applies atemi (metsubushi).

• Tori moves as if to thrust the right shoulder and right tegatana I forward ,

II> Tori grasps uke's left hand which is gripping tori's right shoulder and holds it in as if to bind the back of uke 's hand to the shoulder. He advances his left knee diagonally left and applying right tegatana to uke's elbow, pushes upward along a line joining uke's shoulder and ear.

70 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

f '

• •

.,.. Tori now cuts sharply down with tegatana, and at the same time turns the hips to the left .

• Tori must not allow uke's left hand to lose contact with hts (tori's) shoulder until the end of the movement when uke is completely under controL

..

.6. Tori now gnps uke's elbow with his right hand and pushes diagonally to the right; he places his right knee below uke's left shoulder to complete the movement.

In aikido, in addition to developing and training the physique, great stress is laid on developing shiJchiJ-ryoku- the concentration of attention and strength at one point when applying a technique. This version of kata ­mochi ikkajo-osae is an ideal technique for cultivating both; it requires the application of shtJchiJ-ryoku in the region of the shoulder and, like all suwari waza, it develops the legs and hips and demands fast. subtle movement.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 71

Kat a-mochi lkkajo Osae (B) "Shoulder gr asp; 1st c ontrol"

• When pushing upward w•t ' the right tegatanr1 the rigl snoulder must be ildvanccd

I

4 In gyaku-hanmi, uke grasps tori's right shoulder with his left hand and pushes. Tori applies atemi (me­tsubushl) with the left hand and advances his right toot diagonally.

2

4 With his left hand tori clamps uke's left hand to his (tori's) shoulder and with right tegatana pushes uke's left elbow strongly upward, at the same time opening his left foot slightly.

Kat a-mochi lkkaj6 Osae (B-sitting) "Straight b low; 1s t c ontro l"

• Both are m seiza when uke seizes tori's right shoulder w1th h1s left hand (palm downward). Tori opens his right knee and applies atemi (metsubushi) With h1s lett hand.

' "" .e gatarw must b<> executed a Jon IlifF. a I me co<1nect r ~ mg the knees, h1ps And lace

72 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• Tori's lett hand grasps uke's right wrist and while pushing uke's left elbow strongly upward with tegatsna, he moves slightly to the rear.

'

J

This version of the throw is applied when uke grasps the shoulder und pushes.

• Stnke sideways wi1h te· gatana

4

4 Bringing his left foot around behind him in a big sweep tori turns 180" and brings his right tegatana down strong­ly, at the same time lowering the body.

Example of the above movement.

Y Making a big sweep to the rear with h1s left knee, tori turns 180 bringmg the right tegatana strongly downward and completely breaking uke's posture forward.

I I

' \ '... .,-r ' -...... ____ __

s

4 Tori comes down onto his right knee, brings uke face downward onto the mat and skewering the elbow applies 1kkajo osae.

T Bringing uke's face downward onto the mat, tori immobilizes him as in the previous technique.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 13

6

NIKAJO OSAE "2nd control"

WHAT IS NIKAJO OSAE?

Nikajo is a technique directed at the elbow and the wrist and can be used to inflict much pain if applied skillfully. Consequently many beginners give up before they have mastered this technique; but constant practice helps the student build up considerable tolerance to pain and makes him less vulnerable to wrist techniques. Furthermore, since it stretches and softens the sinews not used in everyday hfe and at the same t1me stimulates the nerve endings, the pract1ce of mkajo is beneficial to the health.

There are countless situations m which nikajo can be used, as there are with all the other bas1c techniques. Here the descriptions will be confined to katate-mochi and kata-mochi, i.e., the techniques used when gripped by an opponent.

74 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• Points to Remember

Although nikajo is a method of grasping the opponent"s hand it does not depend simply upon a powerful grip. Rather, the techn1que depends upon the same principles followed when holding a sword: the grip is exerted mamly through the little fingers, both hands are used, and uke's wrist is held in the same position and at the same angle as tori would hold a sword if the intention were to cut down uke from the front.

When applying the technique the strength of the whole body- not just the upper part- must be concentrated on uke's wrist. If the basic movements of the feet. the use of the weight and the hips are not correct then nikajo cannot be effective.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 75

Katate-mochi Nikajo Osae (A)

" One hand grasp; 2nd control"

~ In left at hanmi. uke grasps tori's right wrrst With h1s left hand. Too moves his right hand to his right side (palm downward) . moves his nght foot to the nght (suri-ashi) and applies atemi with his left hand (metsubusht) .

5

---

4 Tori takes a pace with his right foot along a line running from below uke's arm to the point of h1s shoulder and, securing uke's arm, pushes him forward

76 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

.........

~ Tori brings uke's hand over to po1nt d1rectly in front and level With tori's eyes and, grasping uke's wrist with his right hand, grips uke's hand across the back w1th his left.

6

' ' ' ' ' ' \

~ Tori maintains control of u/ce's arm by pushing it toward the po1nt of uke's shoulder and advancing one pace diagonally to the left brmgs uke's face down toward the mat.

\

This movement involves the application of ikkaj6 on uke's wrist. when uke grabs tofl with one hand and pulls, tori applies ikkaj6 on uke's wrist.

J

7

!

A. With a downward stroke of both hands in the direct1on of uke's left side and bringing his we1ght forward, tofl secures uke's wrist.

~ While advancing still further w1th the left foot. tort grips uke's elbow w1th his right hand and. pushing downward. turns h1s hips to the left.

• As ton turns 1n toward uke he should draw the left leg (still bent) w1th hun, piVOting on the nght knee. The nght foot is up on tts toes

8

~ Tori comes down onto his nght knee to bring uke completely faco downward.

t I

~ Tori brings h1s left foot up close to uko's face so that his body is at 90"' to ukc's He holds uke's left wrist in the crook of his nght elbow and presses h1s (tori's) right arm against _his own chest With left tegatana ton secures uke's left elbow.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 71

Katate-m ochi Nikajo Osae (A)

n

•

• v

• The·e are no movf'rnonts rn ,ukrdo th. t follow a str.:ught lrne the hod'{ and ·1rmc; should always be descubmg an me h 'act too·s rnovemunt rs analogous to d w"rrlnool wrth hrs hody at the center wluc h pulls 111 hrs opponent

These photographs are of a reverse form of the previous technique: in this case, starting f rom migi-ai-hanmi. uke grasps tori with his right hand. But regardless of whether the attack comes from the left or the right side, the ensuing movements are exactly the same.

All aikido movements should be practiced from both sides.

78 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

7

'

J

\

' I I ,

.t ~'t 1 ...

T ({ BASIC TECHNIQUES 79

Katate-mochi Nikaj6 Osae (A-sitting) .-...:

"One hand grasp; 2nd control"

Example of the previous move­ment when both are sitting.

3

4 Uke grasps tori's right wrist with his left hand. Tori moves his right hand to the right, takes his right knee slightly back and to the side. At the same time he applies atemi with his h~md.

~ --4 Tori advances his left knee diagonally to the left; with his right hand he grasps uke's wrist. Tori's left hand then grips uke's left hand in nikaji5.

80 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

4 Tori now brings both hands down as if making a sword stroke and secures the wrist.

• Througllout the movement tori 1s up on his toes.

4 Tori grips uke's left elbow with his right hand and in the manner of ikkajo advances his left knee and breaks uke 's posture.

Thrusting uke's arm forward, tori advances his right knee in the direction of uke's right shoulder, and, moving his left knee forward, is in a position to bring uke under complete control

Katate -mochi Nikaj6 Osae (B)

"One hand grasp; 2nd control"

When uke grasps one hand and pushes, tori opens his body and applies nikajo .

..,.. From hidari-gyaku-hanmi, uke grasps tori's right wrist with his left hand and pushes.

.,. Tori spreads his fingers and, lower­ing his hand to the right, steps to the right side with his right foot and applies atemi (metsubusht/ with his left hand.

.,. Sweeping his left foot to the rear tori opens his body about 45 o to the left and gripping uke's left wrist with his right hand brings it up level with his eyes; at the same time he grasps uke's hand with his left hand in the manner of nikaji5.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 81

~ Cutting down sharply with both hands to a point JUSt below uke 's left shoulder.tori secures uke's wrist. • The we!lght of the body should be tak en on both legs ond the power should be concentrated m the btg toe of the right foo t

.A While pivoting on his left foot and turning 180 to the rear, tori opens hts body wtdoly to the left and at the same time cuts down· ward with both hands .

~ Turning hiS h1ps sharply to tho loft ho brings uke still lower. ( Uke is brought to tho ground 1n n swcepmg movement around tori's nght knee )

82 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

T Without loosening the grip ol the left hand and grasping uke's left elbow w1th hts nght hand, tori, with a circular sweepmg movement, takes h1s left foot to the rear. ,

~ As ton's body continues to turn, h1s we1ght IS transferred from his right to his left foot and he brmgs his right knee to the ground Ptvoting on his right knee he bnngs h1s left foot close to uke's face

~ Tori holds uke's left wrist in the crook of his right elbow and presses his Ia fl hand against his chest. With left tegatana tori brings pressure on uke's elbow.

Kata-mochi Nikajo Osae (A)

"Shoulder grab; 2nd control"

• From hidari-ai­hanmi, uke grasps tori's right shoul ­der, with the left hand palm down­ward, and pulls.

.6 Too withdraws his right toot diagonally and opens his body slightly, at the same time applying atemi (metsubushi) with his left hand.

(.

.6 Tori grips uke's left hand from above with his left hand, holds it fi rmly to his shoulder and, w ith right tegatana, pushes uke's elbow sharply upward.

Kata-mochi Nikajo Osae (A- sitting)

"Shoulder grab; 2nd control"

I

.._ Both are in seiza: uke grasps tori's right shoulder w itQ his left hand palm dow nward. Tori Immediately moves his nght hand (palm upward) and his right knee to the right wh1le applying atemi with his left hand

84 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

.6 With his left hand tori grasps uke's left wrist from above and thrusts uke 's elbow upward with right tegatana; while sliding the left knee forward tori secures nikajo pushing directly down­ward.

This technique is the application of nikajo while concentrat ing one's power in the shoulder. But the techniques must not be applied with the strength of the arms alone: the aim must be to utilize the movement of shoulder, arms and weight simul ­taneously. In other words, power must be concen ­trated along a single line.

1. .6 Tori holds uke's wrist firmly to his shoulder, ap­plies nikajo and drives uke's elbow downw ard in the direction of his (uke's) left side.

.6 Without loosening the .6 Tori advances his right lock on uke's wrist. tori foot, pushes the secured now grips uke's elbow arm toward the point of the with his right hand and. shoulder and controls uke. stepping forward with his left foot, turns h1s h1ps

.6 Grasping uke's elbow with his right hand and moving his left knee forward, tori pushes uke's elbow sharply upward and then directly downward, breaking uke 's posture diagonally to tori's right.

.6 Advancing his right knee along the line joining the base of uke's left shoulder and the point of his nght, tori pushes uke's arm in the direction of the shoulder and brings uke over onto his face to control him

BASIC TECHNIQUES 85

Kata-mochi Nikaj6 Osae (8-sitting) "Shoulder grab; 2nd control"

Both are in seiza when uke grasps tori's shoulder and pushes. Tori applies nikajo and making a big turn brings uke under control.

A Dropping the left knee slightly to the rear, tori's left hand grasps uke 's wrist in the nikajo position and at the same time, tori pushes uke 's elbow upward using right tegatana .

.,. Without allowing uke's left hand to move (which is held fast to tori's shoulder), tori brings the tegatana directly downward and applies nikajo by pushing in the direction of, uke's shoulder.

86 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

A Uke grasps tori's right shoulder with the left hand palm downward. Tori comes up onto his toes (without allowing his weight to float), moves his right knee slightly to the right and applies atemi with the left hand.

Tart mus1 nevvr rrl"'x the gnp of h1s left hand • Tori, when pushHlp up­ward with tegatana , must neve1 allow uke 's hrt11d to los<' contact wtth h1s shoulder

\

' ,....., ---> ..... _____ __

,"" ~ Grasping uke's elbow with his right hand and still holding uke's wrist in the nikajo position, tori makes a counter-clockwise sweep to the rear with his left foot, turning his body and hands 180' .

I I \ \ ,,

.......... ---------- .

Y Transferring his weight from the right to the left knee and turning the hips sharply, tori pushes uke's elbow down further and brings him under control.

~ Tori's hands push downward as he turns, bringing uke face down­ward to the ground.

87

\

' I

Taking the part of both tori and uke produces strong and supple jomts. adds to the tndivtdual's speed and ability to concentrate power and develops postttve strength. Accordrngly, since experiencing pam and building up tolerance has a dtrect connection with strengthening oneself as a whole, it is especially necessary for both uke and tori to cooperate in practtcing correctly the major techniques.

• Suwari waza ( .. sitting techniques")

lkkaJO, nikajo, sankajo, yonkajo (described later) and many other aikido techniques are practiced in a sitting position. This is because the samurai spent a great deal of time indoors sitting formally and thus had to be able

·j ~1 / \..

1\ ) }~ I

\

~r I \

.-.J ) ~ , ~ - __.... ,.. ,

90 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

to defend themselves in these circumstances. Movements made in a sitting posttton make greater demands on the

body than standing techniques and to be fast calls for s~rong and s~pplu legs The samurai discovered that the perfo~mance of. sttttng techmques greatly benefited the performance of standtng . techntques. As a result, though suwari waza were harder they were practtced as much as-or even more than tachi waza.

l ' \\

' •

/ ..

BASIC TECIINIOUES 91

, \l

Shomen -uchi Sankajo Osae (B)

"Straight blow; Jrd control"

~ ,,,

,_ '

When uke attacks with a blow to the head, tori moves to one side as in nikajo osae (b). and applies sankajo.

• By studyi"Q thec;o photo graphs lakon from i!bOv•~ m CO'lJUnction w1th those ol the followmg pages. one C<ln ilP proc.iate tho smooth, ctrcu•a• rnovcnent wh1ch IS the spec al fentu e of a kido .

.. '

92 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

A Grasping the fingers of uke's right hand, tofl pushes them directly upward keeping uke off-balance while he changes his grip.

~ In hidari-gyaku-hanm1, uke attacks from the front with tegatana.

~ While deflecting the blow, tori very quickly makes a 180 c<

turn toward uke's right rear, destroying his posture .

• Tt. ~ P" ~··- .... !:: .. With hiS left hand.

A With his left hand tori applies sank<IIO

BASIC TECHNIQUES 93

6

~ While pullmg, tori again turns 180 degrees c lockwise whirlmg uke around and down onto the mAt

94 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• While maintammg the sankajo and thus causing uke to " float" his we1ght, tori grasps ulce's right elbow with his right hand.

<il Securing both uke's wrist and elbow, tori pulls strongly down toward his own hips.

• The lock IS secured by "strcught enmg • uke's elbow 1 e by press ng agamst the JOmt

• Be careful not to loosen the gnp on uk.e's wnst

8

• Tori now changes his gnp: with his right hand he holds uke's right hand f1rmly agamst his chest: With left tegatana he presses against the inside of uke·s elbow. By tum tng his whole body to the right. tori can now control uke.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 95

Shomen-uchi Sankajo Osae (8-sitting)

"Straight blow; 3rd control"

Sankajo applied against a blow to the face when both are sitting.

A Both are in seiza and uke attacks with right tegatana to the head. Tori deflects the blow with right tegatana. at the same time grasping uke's elbow as if to "float" his weight upward.

A Still sitting and using the left knee as a pivot, tori turns (clockwise) 180' , breaking ukes posture and at the same time grasping his fingers.

7

A While pulling uke's right arm strongly with his left hand. tori applies alemi with his right.

A As soon as he has applied atemi, tori grasps uke's right elbow.

A Using both hands, tort pulls strongly downward bringing uke down onto the mat.

96 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

A Tori's right hand holding uke's fingers pushes upward; his left hand under uke's elbow also helps to keep uke off­balance by pushing in the same direc­tion.

A Tori adjusts the angle of his body and secures uke's arm.

7 m • ,kes a jvant. 1E t his unbal dnced oppo 10nt

A Tori applies sankaio with the left hand.

A Tori brings uke complete control.

under

BASIC TECHNIQUES 97

Mune-mochi Sankajo Osae (B )

" Ches t grasp ; 3rd control"

When uke grasps tori by the lapel, tort passes under uke's arm and apphes sankajo.

I

2

98 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

~ In ai-hanmi, uke grasps tori's lapel.

"' Utilizing the force of uke's push, tori moves his body to the left and appltes atemi (metsubushi) with his nght hand.

'Y While uke IS react1ng to tho atcmi, tori lowers his body and passes under uke's arm.

W"'tle pass•nq U" lc r ,JA ':; , rm with his left tJand ton gnp, ull' ~ fl<)ht hand 1ror<l tho b Kk

~ Tori turns toward uke and with uke~s hand held firmly agamst the chest, applies sankajii. From this point the movement is the same as shiimen -uchi ~ankaJii (b) .

11> Pressing rke's nght

nand firmly agamst his chest, tori transfers his weight to his left foot and turns h1s upper body coun­ter -clock­WISe 180

• Wh1lc movmg past uke. tofl <lPP cs atenu wtth his raghl dhow ugamst the srde o1 uke o;

chest

~ When passmg under uke's arm. tori's we1ght is kept forward. To" grasps uke's nght hand and keeps it firmly against his chest.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 99

YONKAJQ OSAE "4th contro l "

WHAT IS YONKAJO OSAE?

This technique is directed against the inside of the opponent's wrist. I f applied correctly it can induce sufficient pain to prevent him fighting.

Though the outside of the wrist is relatively hard, the inside has many weak spots. Strong, concentrated pressure on these points will make an opponent helpless. Though there are many versions of this technique, only one is dealt with here.

• Points to Remember

It is difficult to convey by photographs how pressure is being applied; but in this case tori causes intense pain by exerting pressure on the back of uke's wrist with the joint at the base of the index finger.

--100 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

This technique is not effected by a "wringing" action of the arms and nor should it be applied with mere "gripping" power. The student must not be content with executing any technique with the action of the hands only: in the case of yonkajo osae it is essential that the power ofthe hips and the legs should be applied to the opponent's wrist.

By continual practice of yonkajo it is possible to develop exceptionally strong and supple hands.

/ \ J ~

BASIC TECHNIQUES 101

Shomen-uchi Yonkajo Osae (A)

"Front blow; 4th control"

l

,

When uke blocks tori's blow to the head tori seizes and exerts pressure on tiH back of uke's hand causing sufficicn pain to bring uke under control.

~ Tori attacks with tegatana to the head and uke blocks the blow, also

-· usmg tegatana .

•

102 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• As in tkkajo (a) . tori first thrusts uke ·s elbow directly upward and then brings both hands down in a cutting motiOn to break uke"s posture.

~ Tori releases uke's elbow and with the left hand grips t he inside or uke's wrist from above.

• Tori advances his left leg to uke 's nght side and, concentrating his strength into the lower joint of his left mdex fmger, strongly applies yonkajo •

.,.. Tori advances his right foot with a big step, goes down onto his left knee and brings uke completely under control.

Fina 1., uke changes htS grip and holds ukD With nikajo.

5

BASIC TECHNIQUES 103

SOKU MEN-IRIMI-NAGE "Side-approach body throw"

WHAT IS SOKUMEN·IRIMI-NAGEJ

Th1s techn1que consists of moving out of the line of uk.e's attack, rein­forcing his momentum w1th one's own force and throwmg him from the side The use of mm11S not limited to th1s technique: there are instances 1n ikkajo and shiho nage where a simila r movement is used. lrimi-nage. where tori moves mto uke's side h1s weakpoint- to break h1s posture and throw him, is a technique peculiar to aikido.

• Points to Remember

In the photographs below (katate-mochi sokumen-iflmi-nage (b) ) tori slides his right hand upward across uke's neck and face and then sharply downward in a curving motion; at the same time he takes a pace to uke's

~~ .. 4 /

.... 104 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

rear with his right foot and throws uk.e with a scissor- like movement. Before th1s stage tori has moved out of the line of uk.e 's attack and added his own power to uk.e's pushmg or pulling movement.

, .... l

iJJ"f~~·t y

•/ ) ~

L

' I ""I :li(; {~ ~

~ ! ' tL

T ~~~

I

I

BASIC TECIINIOUES 10~

Katate-m ochi Sokumen-irimi -nage (A )

" One hand grasp ; side-appr oac h body throw "

When pulled by one hand tori utilizes the movement, steps to uke's rear and- with a combinatiOn of turning the hips, transferring the weight. and hand movement- throws uke to the rear.

~ Moving with uke's pull, tori advances h1s left foot to a pomt bes1de the outside of uke 's lett foot and, turning h1s body and hands about 30 ' to the leH. unbalances uke.

106 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

~ From h1dari-ai-hanmi, with his left hand uke grasps tori's right wrist from the outside and pulls.

e T Ofl 1mmed1atley spreads Wide the f,ngelc; Of the hand se•zed a reaction typ1cal of all atk1do techmques

J

.._ Tori brings his right arm sharply down m a cutting stroke toward h1s nght foot, destroying uke's posture and throwing him to the rear.

No,., how well ron has preserved his pos1ure. Th1s mamtenance of correct attitude {physical ;Jnd mental) al~er executmg a technique is culled z_anslm! Zanshm 1s most unp?rtant s~nca 11 means that /Ofl is now m n position lo meet a new emergency immediately

~ At the same time as tori makes a big step with his right toot behind uke, he thrusts forward and upward w1lh h1s left hand and delivers atem1 to uke's abdomen with left te gatana.

• J, ton can hnng his r~ght h1p into contact with ulw's I{ It Ot this point the technique l"l more e6 f -r· · ......

BASIC TECHNIOUIS 107

Kata-mochi Sokumen-irimi-nage

" Shoulder grasp ; side -approach body throw "

I

When seized from the side at the shoulder and pulled, tori moves with the pull, traps uke's arm with a downward stroke and, stepping behind uke, throws htm to the rear.

• From hidafi ·Bi·hanmi, uk.e grasps tori's right shoulder with his left hand (palm downward) and pulls.

._ Tori brings tegatana against the outs1de of uke's arm

108 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

4 Closing the maai by steppmg forward with the left foot and moving w1th uke's pulling mo uon. tori cuts sharply downward to his left front with nght tegotana and breaks uke's pos ­ture ._ At the same time tofl takes a big step with his right foot to uke s rear When uke mstmc­ttvely begms to stratghten. tori suddenly thrusts upward and

floats" uke's we1ght.

..,_ Tw1sting his hips strongly to the right, tofl delivers atemi wtth hts left hand to uke's chest. and cuts down hard with his nght hand to h1s right front, throwing uke to his rear.

I ' I liS f'Vf'S on uke through out the whole move I'll llt

5

BASIC TECHNIQUES 109

SHQM EN-IRIMI- NAGE "Front-approach body throw"

WHAT IS SHOMEN-/RIMI-NAG£?

The irimi or body movement differs from that in the previous technique in that tori IS square to uke's s1de when his body moves 1n When uke attacks with a striking or stabbing movement, tori, synchronizing his movement with uke's, pulls him 1nto a whirlpool of mot1on deprivtng him of his power and leaving h1m vulnerable to tori's throwing technique.

• Points to Remember

If a man is pushed forward hts mstmct1ve reaction 1s to stratghten up by pushing backwards. This techn1que makes subtle use of th1s movement.

t _ ..

~ >

t~ ~~ \ [.... <:J _i ....,._

, ,

110 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

As the photographs show, when uke attacks from the front with a blow to the head, tori deflects the blow w1th tegatana and breaks uke's action, delivers atemi to the face with h1s nght hand and then curvmg his right arm around uke's neck, drives it straight downward while making a big step with his nght foot to uke's rear. Uke is thrown backwards. The important points to remember are to " open' one's body out of the line of attack and to synchronize one's movements with those of uke's.

If ~ J~' ::; ..

-

"'"""' '~\ f.

' .. t ,{ \

'>

BASIC TECHNIQUES 1 1 1

')

Shomen-uchi Shomen-irimi -nage

" Front blow; front-approach body throw"

When uke attacks from the front with a blow to the head, pivoting on his left foot tori makes a 180 turn to the rear breaking uke's posture forward and takmg advantage of uke's reaction, encircles uke's neck and face with hts right arm and throws him to the rear.

+ When uke attacks from hJdarJ·gyaku-hanmi w1th a blow to the head (te ­gatana). tori "receives" the blow with his right hand. seizes uke 's collar with his left hand and begins to " lead away" uke's arm with h1s nght.

•

'\.... ~,.

I

,...., __ _

+ Turnmg 180 with a b1g c~rcular motion of his nght foot to the rear, tori sweeps uke's nght arm around and downward breaking his posture

• A' t !'!e .arne t1 ne tor, loft hand p1..sh.. u/i.t> for warrl - ... , ,

I

112 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

+ Without resisting uke's movement to straighten up, tof/ turns h1s upper body slightly to the left. moving h1s we1ght for­ward and delivers atemi to uke's face.

-

+ Slidmg his right hand around uke's neck as though to envelop his face. tori "floats" uke upward and, as uke begms to fall to the rear, toft moves his body forward and pushes uke strongly down to his (tori's) right front.

+ Too takes a big step with h1s right foot to uke's rear and. with a winding, downward movement of his right arm. throws uke

• In concert w1th ... ~ ... ovcment of h1s nght hand tor, s left hand holdmg uke s coiiJr pulls strongly downward. • Tori's nght h1p should be close enough to toucl- uke s r ght h1p

• ~ .-.,

r ! - ' ' 5

BASIC TECHNIQUES 113

HIJI -JIM E "Elbow lock"

WHAT IS HIJI-JIME?

Hiji-jime is a technique wh1ch bends the JOint against its natural movement and is thus a type of gyaku (which roughly translated means "lock") Not all aikido techniques which depend upon the bending of the joints are gyaku. Kime IS the bending of a joint in the direction of its natural movement a little more than normal. Nikajo and sankajo, which have already been explamed, and kote-gaeshi. which is explamed later. are all kime.

114 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

• Points to Remember

In htJi-jime, uke's arm is straightened, h1s hand gripped f1rmly, and the pressure on the elbow exerted by the weight of the body. The photo~rap~s show tori meeting uke's attack to the head with tegatana, openmg h1s body to the right with a big turn. sweeping uke's arm down~ards a~d around, straightening the elbow. trappmg the hand and takmg a b1g step to his right front with the right foot, to bnng his body weight forward and pressure onto uke's elbow.

/

BASIC TECHNIQUES 115

Mune-mochi Hiji -jime { B )

"Ch est grasp; e lbow lock "

1

.,. Ptvoting on the left knco. tori turns almost 180 to hts 11ght rear, trapping 11ke's elbow under hts left arm. Tori's toft hand presses against the back of uf<e·s hand

• Uke's elbow must bf' held f~rmly under too '~> arm

3

11 6 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

When uke grips tori's lapel and pushes. tori opens his body to his right. pivoting on the knee, trapping uke's elbow under his left arm.

<1111 Both are in seua. Ul<e gtasps tori's left lapel with hts nght hand. To, moves to his left and applies atemi with his nght hand whtle hts left hand grasps uke's nght wrist from the outside.

-·

<1111 Holding uke's wnst with both I' hands. tori turns still more to his

"" right (to bring him 180 from his , · • original position) bringing uke

J forward onto the mat.

.,. Advancing his right knee and facing uke, tOfl pulls uke's arm towards him and presses downwards

•

....,.

• K€'ep cJAt• wn t mto the chest

BASIC TECHNIQUES 117

•

KOKYO-HO "Breathing m ethod"

WHAT IS KOKYU-HO '?

In everyday Japanese conversation one often hears the words "kokyu ga au," meaning two people are in tune This quality is essential in practicing a1kido: 1f one is in tune with the opponent it is easier to defeat him, if one is not in tune it is impossible to take advantage of the gaps an his defense. In other words, being in tune with the opponent is the essence of aikido; to attune the spint IS to attune the power.

KokytJ-ryoku {"breathing power"} which embodies shuchu-ryoku­the ab1laty to concentrate one's power into one particular area of the body can be generated by regular and d11igent pract1ce of certaan techniques. One of these is described below; it is called suwari-ryote­mochi kokyu-ho.

• Points to Remember

Both are in selza. Synchronizing his movement with uke's pull . tori raises both hands above his head " floating" uke. and brings him to the mat and holds him by "willpower.'

This is a method of exercising synchronization, the concentration of strength and. particularly, controlling an opponent using kokyu ryoku and willpower

As mentioned before suwari waza is a fundamental method of develop­ing stability of the hips and if it is practiced regularly the results are reflected an tachl waza.

118 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

-/'

BASIC TECHNIQUES 119

Kokyu-ho

" 8 reathin g m e tho d "

2

J

12 0 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

When uke pulls both tori's hands tori yields to the pull, pushes forward and upward as if ratsmg a sword and cuts down d1agonally to the left. throwing uke to h1s nght rear. This IS a basic method of learning to channel power along a s1ngle, stable ltne, llnk1ng the legs, body and hands

A When both are in seiza. uke grasps both tori's wnsts from the outside and pulls. Tori reinforces uke's movement by thrust ing his arms forward and upward as though raising a sword

• The power bPhtn< I hr 'IU< .mq nc;v• nwnt must run from thE. f 1 lhrm•q ~h knee .,,, c upper >ndy a-1d •-n F u 111 rl"lOI whP" ou• ht •q tht • rJ mu 1

o• 11oat fn fcn Tl th lwl'l

~ Whtle raistng his arms, tOll comes up onto his toes and, straightenmg his body begms to break uke's balance to the rear

~ Moving his left knee to the left, tofl cuts down with both arms to his left front.

t, , rm mw t not b • lowroei .,,..,d thE' ut mu bf n rl

r qaum

"" Pushmg and cutting downward with both arms tori completely breaks ul<.e 's balance to the rear

"" Adjusting his po~ture (to obtain the most stability) toll stnves to control uk.e by " willpower ...

-. The moment uk.e's back touches the mat tori advances hts nght knee and bears down on uke

5

6

BASIC TECHNIQUES 121

TENCHI- NAGE " Heaven and earth throw"

WHAT IS TENCH/ NAG£?

Thts techmque ts stmtlar to ryote mocht kokyu-ho except one hand moves up and the other down, hence, "heaven and earth ...

When uke seizes both tori's wrists and attempts to pull them apart tori yields to the movement and remforces it with his own power (and kokyu-ryoku) to break uke 's posture and throw him. In the photographs tori raises his nght hand above his head 1n a circular movement. lifttng uke's left hand from the inside Using uke's right shoulder as the cardinal point, tori cuts down with a circular movement of his left hand, taktng uke's nght hand to the rear at the same t1me tofl advances h1s left knee d1ago nally to the left. Uke IS now floated up in a kind of cartwheel and at this moment, tori brings his right hand sharply forward and downward in a circular movement and thrusts forward w1th his left hand to bring uke down on h1s back Tori then advances h1s right knee to uke's stde and controls h1m as in kokyu-h6 (however, tori's hands should be spread a little wider than in kokyu-ho)

• Points to Remember

The practice of all aikido techniques cultivates kokyu-ryoku but tencht nage is particularly effect1ve tn thts respect As its name suggests, the right hand is leading up to the heavens and the left hand IS attempting to p1erce the earth.

I

~ \ ~ ' ,,

~

' ~ ~ 1\ r '\ ?c< .... • ) \ I ~ - \ .. I

f /A ~ .... .. \0 •

122 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

~

~I ~ ~ f-~) ~- ~ 'C ,\ •

0~jj'

BASIC TECHNIQUES 123

Ryot e-mochi Tenc hi -nage " Both hands h eld; h eaven and ear th throw"

Tori pushes one hand upward and the other down­ward, enveloptng uke 1n the movement and throwing him to the rear.

• From hidan gyaku­hanmi. uke moves forward and grasps both tori's wnsts. Ton steps to h1s left front with hrs left foot. pushing down with his loft hand and up with hrs nght. liitmg uke's left hand from the ms1de.

-

' \ '"

_,

. -

• T ransferrmg his weight • As soon as uke ·s bal­to hrs left foot. ton thrusts ance rs broken, tOfl takes a strongly downward wrth brg curving step wrth his h1s left hand and strongly right foot to ul<.e·s rear upward tn a circular mo- bending uke further back ­Iron with his rrght hand, ward breaking uke's posture to h1s right rear.

' •

••

' I

124 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

-

• Uke's wetght 1s now ' float1ng" and to throw hun With a wrnding rnove­ment. rori brings hrs right <Jrm down in a sweeping, circular motion and thrusts even harder w1th hrs left arm to his left front .

•

t · \

8 I 'oil lht lot! I illol t tlu I mr

• Too bnngs his werght well forw,ml and from that position. with both :ums almost encircling uke. he thrusts uA r• diagonally to the nght, 10 complct" tho throw

BASIC TECHNIOU[S 12b

KOTE-GAESHI " Outward w rist t wist ..

WHAT IS KOTE-GAESHI?

When beginners take up atktdo it ts often said that it is sufficient if they have enough strength to lift 1 6 lbs. Thrs is because it is not reqwred that the opponent be picked up and thrown nor that any undue effort be used rn bringing the opponent to the ground. The techniques have been devrsed to exert considerable force with the expenditure of very little strength.

Kote -gaesht rs a very good example. Simply by turning hts wrist to the outside, it is possible to break uke's posture and bring him to the ground. In other words, by atlackrng a weak point such as the w rist it is possible to subjugate and control the whole of uke's body.

In the photographs, when uke seizes tori's wrists, tori grasps uke's right wrist from underneath, releases his left hand and applies left tegatana

,

126 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

-

to the back of uke's hand, pressing directly downward. This has the effec t of throwing uke. {If he did not turn over hts wrist would break. ) Tori then grasps uke's wrist with his left hand and grips uke's elbow bringing hrm over onto his stomach, by pushing the arm lengthways m the direction of uke's face.

• Points to Remember

When applying the lock against uke 's wrist, be sure not to grip with the left hand (if attacking uke 's right wrist) : always use either tegatana or the palm of the hand. Th s is because gripping the wrist limits one's movement: an open hand is freer and can move quickly when necessary. This is one of the essentials of aikido and can be applied to all techniques.

I -.

BASIC TECHNIQUES 127

Ryote-mochi Kote-gaeshi

"Both hands grab; outward wrist twist "

When uke has seized both w rists too applies kote gaeshi agatnst one of uke's wrists, brings him to the ground and controls htm.

A From hidan oi llanmi, ukc setzes tori's wrists. At the same ttml'. tori takes back hts left foot and bnngs both his hands together. palm to palm .

•

'f' Moving agatnst uke ·s nght thumb. tori releases his loft hand, turns ul<.e ·s wrist to hts (uke's) outside, ie., away from tori, and applies left tcgatana to the back of uke's nght hand

2

A Too turns his left hand palm upwards and Simultaneously grasps uke's left wnst from below.

~ While applying strong pressure on uke's wnst, toll takes a b1g step forward wrth his nght foot across uke 's front.

128 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

~ In this position, tori turns uke's wrist even more and throws him.

• VV n turnmg uke s ww;t the ••nht 1 1 'J wt11c~ ts gnpptnfl t"e wrtst nnd h left teCJclt,Jnd whtc h • , rt>laxf'd 1 t movE toqether

.,.. Once uke has turned over, whtle retaming h1s grip on ul<e's wrist, tori moves to ~is IPh and changes h1s grip, graspmg the wrtst w1th his left hand And grippmg ul<e>'s elbow w1th his nght By secunng the elbow, he brings uke over onto hts face

.,.. Too brings uke under complete control by pushmg uke's arm in thf' direction of his shoulder

5

BASIC TECI(NIOUCS 129

Shomen -tsuki Kote-gaeshi "Straight punch; outward wrist twist "

I

2

" -

... J

.A As soon as uke is unbalanced. tori turns back 180 (counter clock w1se) applies kote· gaeshi and, opening h1s nght foot to the nght. delivers atem1

130 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Uke attacks with a stabbing motion f rom the front; opening his body 90 to the left. to1 deflects h1s blow, seizes uke' wrist and subdues h1m wttr kote-gaeshi.

~ From hidari-gyak.u·hanmi ukf' stabs with h1s right hand at tori'. abdomen. Toll. pivoting on h1s lei foot, takes h1s nght foot back m 90 turn and w1th left tegatan reinforces the forward movement c uke's wrist.

~ Transferring his wc1ght from th £ left foot to the nght. tOll turns 1h 1 upper part of his body 180 (clock wise) and draws uk.e ·s wrest off 11 uke's nght .

-. Tori steps forward w1t h h1s nght foot and throws uk.e by mcreaseng the pres sure on h1s wrist.

• except

5

~ Bnnging ulw onto his face, to· " controls him by pushmg tlw wrists and elbow directly down ward.

rycJtv moch1 kola g,'l slu Dern f01wmd

The preceding sections have dealt with the basic forms of the most frequently used aik ido techniques. They are taught in a formalized manner to ensure that after re­peated practice all the important elements of the movement will have become reflex actions

Once this stage has been reach­ed-and not before the appli­cation of the technique to various cases and Situations becomes not only possible but a natural re­action. For this reason 1t is mean­ingless to dictilte what act1on must be taken 1f, for mstance. you are attncked by n man with a kni fe It is doubtful If tho expert cou ld explatn whnt ho himself would do in any parttcular sit­uation; hts reactton would be instinctive, his techntque auto­matic However nksorno a student may find the repetition of what may often appear to be exagger­ated movements, he must accept that this is the only way to achieve the level of skill that may one day save his life. (Pictured right is kokyti-nage) .

132 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

SECTION 4

Practical Application

lkkajo Osae "1st control"

Here is an example of how ikkaji5 (p. 62) might be adapted. Tori grasps uke's hand as soon as he feels his wallet being pulled out of his pocket. Obviously he cannot know which technique he is going to use until he realizes what kind of grip he has on uke's hand. In this case his training tells him that it is the natural one for ikkajo.

Tori turns to face his opponent and finds himself in a familiar Situation (fig. 2, kata-mochi ikkajo osae (a), p. 68).

\ I

134 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

In this case there is not enough room nor is it necessary to take uke to the ground. Once having broken his balance by pushing his left elbow in the d1rection of his head. tori is able to smash uke against the wall.

Note that tori's thumb is under uke's elbow (4a) and the power of the thrust is coming from tori's hips (5).

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 135

Kote-gaeshi " Outward wris t twis t "

Let us take the same situation as in the previous movement: only th1s t1me imagine that uke uses his right hand to take the wallet-probably with the idea of making a quick escape to the nght of the camera.

Once again tori instinct ively grasps uke's hand but in this instance tori's hand naturally falls into the ideal position for applying kote-gaeshi (p 128). Tori's pivoting movement to the left will mean that the technique

- ..... •

136 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

is applied with the whole body not JUSt the local action of the arm; and any attempt by uke to continue his movement in the direction of escape will only serve to make the kote-gaeshi take effect more quickly.

Once having broken uke's balance. tori can apply atemi to uke's exposed jaw (5 and 6); or, by using right tegatana against the side of uke's neck. simply thrust him into the wall (7) .

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 137

Shiho-nage "Four-direction s thro w "

Thts is almost the textbook version of shiho-nage (pp. 48, 49) . Uke has grasped both tori's wrists. At the moment he takes hold

ton extends her fingers (a reaction that should come automatically from continual practice of the basic techntques) . Tori grasps uke's right wrist with her right hand (2). Tori's turning movement and the use of her hands and feet are prectsely those described on pp. 50, 51 .

Note that tori's grasping uke's wrist and the beginning of her turning movement must be simultaneous.

138 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

In this situation the assumption is that uke's grasping of tori's wrists is accompanied by a pushing action which means that tori is forced to move back or, as described above. turn away to avoid losmg her balance. If there were no attempt to unbalance tori, uke would be vulnerable to atemi and shiho-nage would be neither appropriate nor necessary.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 139

Nikajo Osae "2n d control"

Here is an example of a variation on nikajo osae. Having been grasped around the waist from behind tori must first loosen

uke's grip (2) . Tofl strikes the back of uke's hand (roughly in the center) with the second knuckle of the middle finger. The pain will force uke to release his grip and the most natural grip tori can use to seize uke's hand is the one that leads to nikajo osae.

140 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Once too takes a half step forward and turns to face uke she is in the same position as f1g. 2. p. 76. and from that point onwards the move­ment is the same as the basic karate-mochi mkajo osae (pp. 76, 77} except that as soon as uke is brought to his knees tori applies atemi to the face with her knee since there is no room to complete the basic movement and bring uke under complete control.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 141

Nikaj6 Osae "2nd control"

This is an example where the basic technique can be used w1thou , variation-see kata-mochi nikajo osae (pp. 84, 85). The great advantagE. of this techmque is that it can be used in confined spaces.

There are two points that must be stressed. It is important to deliver the atemi attack the moment uke takes hold. The object is not so much tc disable him as to momentarily confuse him. During that movement hi !-.

142 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

balance must be broken and this is done by the upward glancing movement of tori's right tegatana (3); so care must be taken not to gloss over this upward movement out of anxiety to begin pushing uke to his knees.

Again. unless uke's elbow is raised the subsequent downward move­ment will not be effective.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 143 •

Sankajo Osae "3rd control"

This is a stratghtforward use of sankajo. Tori breaks uke 's grip by spreading the elbows and lowering the body

(bending the knees, not the waist). As she turns she applys atemi to uke's solar plexus wtth elbow and seizes hts left hand. It is clear that tori's grip is a natural one to use in that position (3} and also happens to be ideal for sankaj6.

From this point on the movement is orthodox (p. 93), except that once agatn because of the confined space it is better to smash uke into the wall than bring him to the ground and control him.

144 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Note tori's feet throughout the movement. She takes half a pace forward wtth her left foot as she brings uke's wrist in front of her (4) . While raising the wrist higher she takes another half pace forward with the left foot pivoting on the right foot (5); finally when thrusting uke away from her, she steps forward with the right foot (6) . Once again. however, it must be pomted out that tf the basic techniques have been practiced enough, the foot movement will come naturally.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 145

Sankajo Osae "3rd control"

This is another example of sankaJ6 (p. 88) . The position of uke 's hand as it comes around tori 's shoulder offers the perfect opportunity for the grip that leads into sankajo. Once having obtained the grip tori immediately begins to lower her body (keeping the back straight) and turns (2 . 3) .

Note the position of torrs feet when she secures uke's wrist (4) . Pictures 4a, b and c show three v1ews of torrs hands at that time. Uke 's

146 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

balance is so badly broken at this point that once tori shifts her left hand to uke's elbow and pushes (5. 5a) it takes httle effort to thrust him a considerable distance ( 6)

Note when twisting uke's hand with the left hand (4b) uke's hand should be moved in the direction of his armpit.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 147

Sankajo Osae "3rd contror

This is almost tho basic movement shomen uchi sankajo osae (pp 92 94) .

The initial movements are the same as in the previous example since uke's approach IS similar; but once tori has reached the position in (4)

148 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

the movement is the same as that Illustrated from fig. 3 onwards on pages 93 and 94.

In this case, as the incident takes place in an open space, it is possible to go through with the movement and bnng uke completely under control.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 149

Hiji Osae "Elbow control"

This technique, called hijt osae, employs the same principle as hiji­jime (pp. 115-117) except that the pressure on uke's elbow is applied through the tegatana.

Tori senses that uke is about to deliver a punch with his right hand and starts to transfer his w eight onto his left foot so that he can use it as a pivot and open his body to the right to avoid the attack (1).

Once having seized uke's wrist tori applies tegatana to the elbow and

150 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

cuts downward in a clockwise, curving movement until uke's arm is held firm against tori's knee.

This downward sweep must be smooth, synchronized with uke's forward movement and it must " whirl" uke around tori's left leg which is the pivot for tori's own turning movement.

Note torts teet must be in the correct position to give him maximum stability throughout the movement.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 151

1 Kokyii W aza "Breathing t echniques"

This is a good example of kokyu waza where anticipation, concentration of effort (s/Juchu-ryoku) and synchronization of one's own movement with the opponent's are vital.

Once again uke throws a strong punch with his right hand. Tori cannot use hiji osae as in the previous example because he has the wrong foot forward. Instead, he shifts his weight onto his right foot (1) which he uses as a pivot when turning his hips. At the same time he grasps uke's wrist without stopping its forward movement (2). synchronizes the anticlockwise turn of his hips with the forward movement of uke's body

152 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

to reinforce uke's (2,3) and thrusts his right arm (cutting edge upward) under uke's right arm (3).

By continuing to turn the hips and pulling uke's arm downwards in a smooth curving movement to the left he completely destroys uke's balance and throws him (4, 5). The " kokyu" element in the technique is being able to feel when to exert the concentrated energy i.e .. when to start changing the direction of uke's forward movement and bring him down in a spiraling motion. Note the zanshin (6) . Tori's posture is still strong and his attention is still on the opponent.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 153

Kot e-gaeshi " Outward wris t twist "

This is an example of kote-gaeshi betng used in a confined and clutter­ed space - it is not possible for tori to use his feet, for example.

As soon as he knows the attack is coming ton moves back and places hts weight on his left foot which he must use as a pivot to avoid the attack (1 ). As he opens his body he grips uke's hand from above- again not stopping uke's forward movement until uke's balance is broken (2).

Note carefully the grip (2a) and the position of the thumb (3a).

154 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

As soon as uke's forward movement is spent tori begins to apply kote-gaeshi.

It is important that tori's right hand should only be applied to, not actually grip uke's left hand (4a) . A shArp, downward, curving movement of the right hand will bnng uke to the ground.

Note tori's basic stance at the end of the movement (5)

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 155

Straight blow

This final movement is a good example of how in some situations simple, short measures can be effective. Indeed, this should be the criterion when considering techniques for self-defense; the less complicated a technique. the faster it can be applied and. more importantly, the less chance there is of failing .

In this situation uke has to make a fairly big movement with his right hand after he has picked up the bottle, while tori makes a direct movement over a shorter distance.

156 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Using the heel of his hand he delivers an upward blow to uke's face, at the same time coming to his feet to put the weight of his body into the

blow. Once the blow has been made it is important to maintain contact

and, by stepping in with the left foot, push him backwards to the ground.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION 157

Glossary

Ai-hanmi Situation in which opponents face each other in same posture.

Aikidoka. One who participates in aikido. Atemi: Blows delivered against vulnerable points of the body.

Gyaku-hanmi Situat1on 1n which opponents face each other in different postures.

Hanmi: St<tndmg posture in which one foot is advanced. Hanmi-hantachi. Situation in wh1ch one person IS sitting and

the other standtng. Hanm1 hantachi waza Techniques performed when one is sit-

ttng and the other standing. Hidari-hanmi Left natural posture. H1ji-jime Lock applied agamst the elbow. Hiji osae: Elbow control. Hiriki: Elbow power.

lkkajo osae: 1st control . lrimi: Literally 'putting in the body" Tori brings hts body into ­

or almost tnto- contact w1th uke's body to effect the technique lrimi nage · Throw in which tori brings his body into contact

with, or very close to uke.

Kamae: Posture. Kata: Shoulder. Katate: One hand. KokyD-ho: Literally "breathing method." Kokyu-ryoku Breathing power. Kote-gaesh1 "Outward wnst tw1st." Kihon dosa · Fundamental movement

158 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

Kime: Bending the joint 1n the direction of natural movement.

Maai: Distance between opponents. Marui: Circular mot1on. Metsubushi: Literally "smash1ng the eyes" Migi-hanmi: Right natural posture. Mochi: Grip. Mune: Chest

Nage: Throw. Nage waza: Throwing technique. Nikajo osae: 2nd control.

Osae waza: Controlling techn1que.

Ryoku: Power. Ryote: Both hands.

Sankajo osae: 3rd control. Seiza: Formal Sitting position Seiza-ho: Movtng into formal sltttng pos1t1on. Shiho-nage: Literally " four dtrections throw." Shikko: Moving on the knees. Shomen: Front. ShDchD: Concentration. ShDchD-ryoku: Concentration of power. Shumatsu dosa: "Deciding" or "fixing" movement. Sokumen: Side. Suri-ashi.· Gliding the feet Suwari waza· Sitting techniques.

Tachi waza Standing techniques.

GLOSSARY 159

Tegatana: The "cutting·· edge of the hand. Tenchi Heaven and earth, or up and down. Tench1-nage: Heaven and earth throw. Te waza Hand techniques. Tori. The one who applies the technique and the eventual winner. Tsuki: Thrust.

Uch1 Blow.

Uke ·The one who receives the technique and the eventual loser Ukemi: Breakfalls.

Waza: Techn1que.

Yonkajo osae 4th control. Yokomen · Side

Zanshin. Completion of the technique in which awareness of opponent and surroundings is maintamed.

160 DYNAMIC AIKIDO

us $17 . 00 51700> wK·w.kodallslta-intf.t•om

9

I S 8 N 0 - 8 7 0 11 - 3 0 1 - 1 ~fiEi . *J;f; 1 650P3 (~~~J)

IS BN4 - 7700 - 0578 - 4 C2075 ¥1650E (in Japan)